Civil Eats

DECEMBER 10, 2024

In the months before Patrick Brown was born in November 1982, his father, Arthur, lay down on a road near the familys farm to prevent a caravan of yellow dump trucks from depositing toxic soil in his community. Patrick currently operates Brown Family Farms on the land that Byron worked as a sharecropper once he was freed.

Plantation 144

Plantation Farming Farming Acre 144

ATTRA

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

A research team from The University of Texas at El Paso will be exploring how pecan farms in Texas and Mexico are being affected by climate change. Additionally, the project will explore how these stressors affect the ability of crops to sequester, or capture and store, carbon dioxide, a critical factor in addressing climate change.

Orchard 40

Orchard Science Crop Agriculture 40

Civil Eats

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

As the sun beats down from a cloudless morning sky across Horn Farm in York, Pennsylvania, Dick Bono ambles among his pawpaw trees, admiring their pale green fruits like a proud parent. When they planted their orchard 11 years ago, the gatherings turned into a festival, which soon outgrew anything they could manage themselves.

Seeding 141

Seeding Farming Farming Orchard 141

Food and Farming Technology

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

New Zealand-based agritech company Robotics Plus has launched Prospr, an autonomous, multi-use, hybrid vehicle designed to carry out a variety of orchard and vineyard crop tasks more efficiently and s

Orchard 130

Orchard Crop Farming Farming 130

Modern Farmer

JANUARY 21, 2025

Plant diseases cost the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year, with between 20 to 40 percent of global crop production lost to crop diseases and pests. When the bugs are cultivated in fruit orchards, they march all over trees, their feet coating the plants in microbial organisms that can curb emerging pathogens.

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Orchard Pesticide Crop Yield 66

Modern Farmer

JANUARY 15, 2024

Armed with little more than ingenuity and entrepreneurial drive, microgreen growers are transforming the unused corners of their dwellings into profitable farming operations. It’s a great gateway crop,” says Don DiLillo, owner of Finest Foods in Huntington, New York, for ushering in a new breed of novice farmers.

Cultivation 120

Cultivation Crop Real Estate Food 120

Caff

MAY 2, 2024

On April 10th, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) hosted a field day at Heartwood Farms in Linden, CA with farmers Franz Eilers and Emma Wade to discuss all things compost and pest management on their biologically-integrated walnut and cherry orchards. Farmers Franz and Emma introduce Heartwood Farms.

Compost 52

Compost Orchard Farming Farming 52

Farmbrite

JUNE 19, 2023

Starting a Fruit Orchard on Your Farm Growing fruit trees or nut trees on your farm is a great way to be more self-sufficient and a great way to add items to your CSA, use the unwanted fruit to supplement feed for your animals, sell at your local farmers market or for personal use.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Pruning 52

ATTRA

JANUARY 6, 2025

This conversation includes how Guy found his way to farming in the Ozarks, the many failures that guided him toward success, and like most conversations with Guy, contains many wonderful, circuitous meanderings. Guy is deeply knowledgeable about his area of expertise, fruit trees, and is also a font of wisdom about how to live the good life.

Orchard 40

Orchard Farming Farming Production 40

Caff

APRIL 22, 2021

CAFF’s Ecological Farming team has been busy the past several weeks setting up the Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS) project at six demonstration sites located in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. “ Why take cover crop samples? “ Why take cover crop samples?”,

Orchard 52

Orchard Ecology Pruning Cash Crop 52

Caff

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Want to find out more about the benefits and tradeoffs of integrating sheep into orchard systems? Check out our newest case study on Sierra Orchards of Winters, CA. Sean McNamara and Jeremy Shepherd share their experiences on integrating sheep into walnuts for cover crop grazing, weed management, soil health benefits, and more.

Orchard 52

Orchard Crop Ecology Livestock 52

AGRIVI

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

Although many farmers use some kind of digital solution or application that helps them track and record their farm operations, still most of them record everything manually, don’t know how to efficiently plan their farm operations and monitor executed work, track cost for each production part, etc.

Farming 105

Farming Farming Orchard Production 105

Caff

APRIL 15, 2024

Photo Credit Bonnie Veblen As part of CAFF’s Ecological Farming Program , we collaborate with farmers to implement and better understand ecologically-based farming practices, which include climate smart farming and soil health practices.

Science 110

Science Ecology Agriculture Agriculture 110

The Farmers Daughter USA

JUNE 26, 2023

While rainfall provides a natural source of moisture, its erratic nature and unpredictable patterns often fall short in meeting the needs of crops. Enter irrigation systems–a strategic and purposeful approach to supplementing nature’s offerings and ensuring the optimal growth and productivity of crops. What is irrigation?

Farming 98

Farming Farming Distribution Crop 98

ATTRA

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced that it is awarding $3 million for three projects through the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) grant program. One project seeks to develop and promote a biologically integrated pest management program for the diamondback moth in cole crops.

Orchard 40

Orchard Integrated Farming Pesticide Crop 40

Modern Farmer

MARCH 6, 2025

They are destined for greatness in the form of chocolate bars, dried beans and tea at Lavaloha Chocolate Farm in Hilo. The other 60 percent is produced across seven farms four owned and three managed by Puna Chocolate Co. From seed to orchard, the cacao growing process can take up to two years. And we grow a lot. Daeus Bencomo.

Compost 76

Compost Marketing Farming Farming 76

Civil Eats

JANUARY 8, 2024

He found this disconcerting, not only for himself but the future of small-scale grain farming in California, once known for its golden hills of grain. As California has lost much of its grain to higher value crops, small flour mills and grain cleaning businesses have disappeared, too. “We’ve got 150 acres of grain.”

Grain 143

Grain Orchard Farming Farming 143

Caff

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

The first Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) event on “Impacts of Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) in Walnuts” was held in Linden at the Anderson-Barngrover Ranch on Friday August 27th. Around 30 people joined in on celebrating and learning from the past, and sharing emerging solutions and challenges.

Orchard 52

Orchard Ranching Ecology Production 52

Caff

DECEMBER 10, 2021

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) hosted our second Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) field day at River Garden Farms on November 30th, 2021 titled “Cover Cropping, Sanitation and Mating Disruption in Walnuts.” At this farm, cover crops increased spider mite predators near the end of August.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Crop 52

ATTRA

OCTOBER 5, 2023

The University of California and The Organic Center are collaborating on research to help organic orchard growers safely incorporate livestock grazing into their farming practices. Related ATTRA publication: Food Safety Considerations for Integrating Livestock into Produce Cropping Systems

Orchard 40

Orchard Livestock Food Agriculture 40

Caff

JULY 25, 2022

In continuing to promote the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) project, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) held its third field day event hosted at Unruh Farms located in Princeton, CA., Daniel Unruh is a 2006 transplant from South Dakota and has been farming the land surrounding his home since 2010.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Ecology 52

Caff

MAY 1, 2023

(Photo by Nolan Kirby) The Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF) held a Biologically Integrated Orchard System (BIOS) field day at Chinchiolo Farms on April 20th. After a very wet winter, attendees enjoyed the nice weather as they gathered in the orchard to discuss a novel mower prototype, pruning, and nematode management.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Ecology 52

Farmbrite

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Mixtures of grasses such as ryegrass, timothy, brome, fescue, Bermuda grass, and orchard grass are commonly used for hay. Orchard Grass Orchard grass has a nutrient content with high fiber, protein, and calorie content when compared to timothy. Orchard grass has a crude protein content of 8-13%, 0.26% calcium.

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Orchard Livestock Pasture Cattle 54

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

DECEMBER 15, 2023

As negotiations around the next farm bill continue, farmers and hundreds of stakeholders want to make sure that funding for climate-friendly practices is protected and remains in conservation programs with a climate focus. Conservation buffer in bloom at Vilicus Farms. Joseph Fischer, of Fischer Farms in St.

Pasture 111

Pasture Crop Orchard Farming 111

Civil Eats

DECEMBER 11, 2023

The front bucket was half full as he drove the tractor forward on a gentle slope of his 10-acre produce and poultry farm in Greensboro, Georgia. The tractor, the most ubiquitous tool on America’s farms, is also the most dangerous. In one instance, a 56-year-old man had worked on his father’s farm all his life.

Tractor 137

Tractor Farming Farming Acre 137

Modern Farmer

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

Agroforestry—the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems—has been used since ancient times to produce fruits, nuts, coffee, cocoa and medicinal herbs. Wendy Johnson’s ‘natural savannah’ Wendy Johnson and her husband, Johnny Rafkin, own Jóia Food & Fiber Farm, in Charles City, Iowa.

Acre 125

Acre Farming Farming Pasture 125

Caff

AUGUST 5, 2022

The Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF) hosted our fourth Biologically Integrated Orchard System (BIOS) field day, titled “Effective IPM Strategies for Major Walnut Pests,” at Blossom Farms on July 12th. Randy also owns his own seed drillers, and plants cover crops on other farms in the area.

Farming 52

Farming Farming Orchard Soil Compaction 52

Modern Farmer

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Where I live in North Carolina, growers with large cucumber and squash farms rent honey bees at a cost of $100 or more per hive and require 1-2 hives per acre during each season. Lately, though, the state has tried to increase awareness about the capabilities of wild, native bees to pollinate North Carolina’s crops.

Crop Yield 138

Crop Yield Yield Crop Pesticide 138

Civil Eats

MARCH 5, 2024

However, based on current air quality monitoring data, much of California—and notably all of the most intensively farmed counties including San Joaquin Valley—will likely not meet the newly updated standard anytime soon. According to the 2018 emission inventory , farm operations were estimated to generate 13 tons of direct PM2.5

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Farming Farming Tractor Agriculture 136

Modern Farmer

JULY 14, 2023

For Paddock, maximizing “ crop per drop ”—getting the most yield with the least amount of water—is important. It’a not just because it’s cheaper and not just because Capay Hills Orchard , his farm just north of Sacramento, is in an area of California that is increasingly drought-prone. The Atlantic took aim at almonds in 2014.

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Orchard Crop Family Farming Farming 94

Caff

MAY 18, 2023

Photo: Ansel Klein In this episode, we learn about integrated crop livestock management from two Northern California Farms. First, we hear from Lorraine Walker of Eatwell Farm in Dixon, CA, where they incorporate laying hens into their diversified vegetable production, and also touch on soil health and fertility management.

Pasture 52

Pasture Farming Farming Ecology 52

Civil Eats

MARCH 11, 2024

This is called shadow microscopy,” says Robb, the co-owner of Compostella Farm in southern Mississippi, bringing the microorganisms into focus. This growing interest in fungal networks on farms quietly challenges the underpinnings of U.S. But working to both protect and encourage fungi on farms is a way to reverse course.

Farming 144

Farming Farming Crop Agriculture 144

ATTRA

JANUARY 15, 2025

This loss of fertile topsoil will pose long-term challenges for crop production and soil health. I thought about my farm and how the barn I built had likely collapsed on top of my goat herd. I thought about my farm and how the barn I built had likely collapsed on top of my goat herd. Farmers faced dire situations.

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Farmland Orchard Compost Livestock 52

Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

According to a recent story in Southeast Farm Press, Georgia’s pecan production is likely to be off by at least a third of what was expected due to effect of several weather events this growing season.

Orchard 52

Orchard Crop Production Farming 52

Caff

OCTOBER 22, 2024

On September 19th, Community Alliance with Family Farmers held a field day at Vitis and Ovis farm in Capay Valley, CA. Gisèle Herren of Vitis and Ovis Farm alongside their flock of grazing ducks. Hans Herren showing attendees an on-farm device as he discussed their experience in making compost tea.

Orchard 52

Orchard Farming Farming Construction 52

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

OCTOBER 6, 2023

One of the key questions lingering over the 2023 farm bill reauthorization is whether Congress will approve a farm bill that builds climate resilience for the countless farmers whose livelihoods depend on it. A test plot of crimson clover at USDA NRCS Plant Material Center. Through the IRA, CSP received a total of $3.25

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Crop Rotation Forage Pasture Crop 102

Farmbrite

JULY 18, 2024

and the decision of which type of hay to grow is unique to each farm operation. We hope this helps you better understand all the options and what you might want to grow on your farm. Orchard grass hay is soft as well as palatable and good for animals with respiratory issues or animals that are picky or need variety in their meals.

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Livestock Forage Cattle Orchard 86