Resource Directory

The growth phase of the pasture season is coming to a rapid end as we advance through the fall. However, we still have plenty of options to optimize fall grazing in the transition to winter. One of…

Most people can name a few apple varieties: those available at grocery stores, those we remember from childhood, maybe a few more for people who regularly visit a local orchard in the fall. But there…

As a full-forage Grassfed dairy and beef grazier, I find it paramount to grow as much quality forage as our farm can every year. Conditions in Wisconsin this year have made that especially challenging…

An interesting part of my position with Marbleseed as a crop specialist is the variety of questions that come my way. The questions range widely from specific crop rotations to determining what to…

For people considering organic certification, it’s commonly understood that you’ll have to change some of your management practices. When the crops you grow are annuals, it seems fairly st…

Organic certification has four big steps each year: application, initial review, inspection, and final review. Now is the time to start on the first step. It is the most work in the first year—from…

You would have to crunch the numbers to determine the financial impact of the pests and how much it will cost to pay for a company to take care of them for you. If you have had major pest issues that…

For most fruit growers, pruning for tree health happens in winter. There are some pruning activities done during the growing season, but heavy pruning carries a significant risk of spreading diseases…

Adding a plant like elderberry or aronia to your farm can seem like a great idea. For organic growers, these crops have many advantages: They are inexpensive to establish and well-suited to cold…

NOP regulations do not currently dictate the level of GMO purity present in harvested organic crops. Organic production is a process-based verification (vs. an end-product verification) so crops can…

There is no question that dairy producers, both conventional and organic, are feeling the pain of a prolonged down market. Organic milk buyers and cooperatives are not actively taking on new producers…

As we enter the time of mid-summer bounty, the pollinators and beneficial insects are busy sipping up the nectar and pollen from your flowering plants. Nectar provides energy, and pollen is high in…

Marbleseed has a fact sheet covering this topic that I wrote while working for Organic Valley, a large cooperative of organic dairy farmers. In it, there are a number of options for lice control, but…

Livestock that are certified organic must only be fed certified organic feed. Sometimes, though, producers find themselves in a situation where they’re feeding uncertified animals on certified organic…

Municipal compost is becoming more common as communities switch to composting yard and kitchen waste instead of sending it to a landfill. The National Organic Standards separates compost in two groups…

Greenhouses and high tunnels are great tools, but they also provide a nice protected environment for certain insect pests. Normally, aphids are kept in check by predators, parasites and by wind and…

In 2015, we bought a farm with some infrastructure but no greenhouse. We grow flowers and vegetables. Because we were low on capital, but high in experience and knew how to “hack” together season…

Creeping buttercup is not a problem weed for us in the Midwest, so I am not that familiar with how to control it. From what I have read, it is perennial, and is tough to kill because of its root…

First, you need to make sure that they are actually fruit flies. Fruit flies are often confused with a different insect called a fungus gnat. Fruit flies have red eyes, a round body and tend to hover…

You can add rented land, or new fields of your own, by adding them to your current year field plan and providing your organic certifier with the previous three years of field histories. If the land…

The scarcity of certified organic meat proces­sors in the Midwest is one of the biggest issues facing the organic industry. The recent loss of the organic processor Premier Meats in southwest…

Knowing where you’ve come from in your farm business can help you know where to go. Keeping good, clear financial records is key to your future farm business success. Applying those well-kept records…

Rental rates for all cropland have increased rapidly over the past five years. Ethanol mandates, strong export markets and the increased demand for meat and dairy products have resulted in high…

Organic farming is a long-term process. Always start the year before by planting a good cover crop, something that will over-winter and return in spring like cereal rye, clover or vetch. If that didn…

While it may seem early to be thinking about breeding season, it’s actually a good time to start getting your plan in order to so that you and your ruminant livestock can be fully ready when the time…

Taking soil samples and testing is a good idea every few years to track if your soil fertility program is moving in the right direction. These tests are one way to prove to your organic certifier that…

There always seems to be a “race to the finish line” when it comes to preparing your farm for winter. If you’re involved in fall production, it can be even more difficult to fit it all in before the…

Whether or not you can get certified now depends on the crop or livestock products you want to sell as organic. All certification agencies are required to see at least some of the requested crops…

The USDA maintains a national list of certified organic operations under the Organic Integrity Database . You can search by state, products, and many other…

Your primary piece of equipment to ensure long-lasting flowers of most varieties is a cooler. You need to be able to take the field heat out of the flowers and hold them until delivery at about 40…

There are a couple different cost share options for organic farmers across the country to help reduce the burden of certification fees. The most widely available is the National Organic Certification…

Farmers who have been utilizing organic practices for years, but have not been certified, might not have to wait a full 36 months between when they decide to transition to organic and when they can…

The standards used by all organic certification agencies are the same USDA organic regulations. Agencies compete for your business based on service and price. The research you do now to choose a…

Even if you feel that you have plenty of land to pasture animals on, mid-season dry spells and the need to let pastures rest means that you may need to consider particular management alternatives in…

As you plan your new pasture, remember that fallow land is not necessarily going to be good pasture land. Just because it’s covered in grass doesn’t mean it’s a productive pasture capable of meeting…

The National Organic Program states that ruminants must receive a significant portion of their daily nutrition (30%) from pasture. This means that they must harvest (eat) living plants that have roots…

One of the most important—and most overlooked—steps in the process of transitioning is to plan ahead for a marketplace where you will be able to move your organic products. Because an outlet for your…

Organic farming is more than a season of putting seeds in the ground and harvesting the plants. It is a farming system that integrates cultural, biological, and mechanical practices to foster cycling…

Harvesting of many organic crops is routinely done by custom operators who are not organic. These operators will need to follow specific protocols to prevent commingling of the organic crop with any…

In my many years of organic inspection, the most profitable and productive organic farmers were those who also kept good records. The documentation you keep need not be burdensome, and should be…

Your organic system plan (OSP) organic certification application includes the locations that various practices and inputs are used on your farm. Your organic certification agency uses your written…

The National Organic Program defines planting stock as “any plant or plant tissue other than annual seedlings, but including rhizomes, shoots, leaf or stem cuttings, roots, or tubers, used in plant…

There are three common wash water addi­tives used for washing organic vegetables. One is food-grade hydrogen peroxide, 35%. This should be diluted down to 3% in the wash water. That would be one part…

Policy plays an important role in our agricultural communities. Whether you’re discussing federal farm policy building conservation grants or more local policy governing infrastructure, the policies…

You probably will not be able to buy plants at your local garden store. When using annual transplants (tomatoes, peppers, onion plants etc.), the plants must be certified organic in order to sell…

Congratulations on knowing all of the acronyms! These government programs can provide funds to help you manage your land with conservation in mind. The payments may not be sufficient to cover all of…

If you can smell the pesticide, it has drifted to your farm. If you are not feeling well, immediately see your family doctor or go to the emergency room. Pesticide exposure should not be taken lightly…

You should check the quality of your grain. It should be clean of chaff and weed seeds when you put it in the bin. Many farmers run their grain through a rotary screen cleaner to reduce extraneous…

Many organic producers use diatomaceous earth, commonly called DE, to control insect infes­tations in organic grain storage. This fossilized remains of an ancient hard shell algae is used in many food…

Under our organic regulation, the GMO contaminated organic corn is still certified organic, although your buyer may have stricter purchasing preferences that include a specific tolerance level for…