Reference
- Organic FarmingFarming without the use of synthetic fertilizers (such as nitrates and phosphates) or pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) or other agrochemicals (such as hormones, growth stimulants, or fruit regulators). The use of any form of genetically modified crops, animals, or ingredients is also banned. Organic farming uses techniques commonly used in agriculture before the development of synthetic chemicals, drugs, and genetic modification, including frequent crop rotations with periods of fallow; natural fertilizers; free-range farm animals; smaller herd sizes; encouraging beneficial insect population growth; and increasing the diversity of crop species.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Websites
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture-Organic AgricultureOrganic farmers, ranchers, and food processors use agricultural methods intended to preserve the environment. USDA organic regulations restrict the use of certain conventional tools such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
- Organic Farming"Organically grown" food is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Pesticides derived from natural sources (such as biological pesticides) may be used in producing organically grown food.
- USDA OrganicMany USDA agencies serve the growing organic sector. Whether you're already certified organic, considering transitioning all or part of your operation, or working with organic producers, we have resources for you. This portal connects you with programs, services, and educational materials that can help your organic farm or business.
Streaming Media
- The American FarmTHE AMERICAN FARM puts viewers on the front lines of the fight to go from seed to stalk, and from farm to fork. It's an honest, true tale of risk and reward.
- Growing People: Young People Building Community at a Hawaiian FarmMA'O Organic Farms, in the historical marginalized rural community of Wai'anae, O'ahu, is the site of a groundbreaking youth leadership program that has impacted the lives of hundreds of Hawaiian youth. This short documentary provides an intimate look at the MA'O program through the stories of three of these youth, sisters Miki, U'ilani and Sheila Arasato.
- Organic FarmingWhat exactly is “organic farming”? Find out on this episode that explores a few farms in Orange County.
- Of the Land - GMOs and Industrial FoodOF THE LAND is a detailed exploration into our current food supply as well as a variety of organic options available to people who want to support sustainable farming methods.
Perspectives
The Flower Farmer
From taking cuttings to winning new customers, this is the guide to growing beautiful organic flowers for enjoyment or profit Over 75,000 copies sold! The first edition of The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers helped thousands of small growers start successful cut-flower businesses. This expanded and thoroughly revised second edition has become equally influential for backyard novices and experienced growers alike. New sections in this edition include: Utilizing greenhouses Recommendations for flower cultivars Post-harvest handling Also updated is the acclaimed resource directory, complete with sources of seeds, plants and supplies, and expert information on organic production under the National Organic Program. For the beginner and backyard gardener, there is an extensive section on the basics, including: Variety selection Soil preparation Planting, cultivation & harvest Floral design For the commercial grower, The Flower Farmer, 2nd Edition includes information about: Larger-scale production Advice about selling to florists, wholesalers, and supermarkets Understanding the wedding and farmers market customers This updated edition also includes revised profiles of successful growers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into the operation of some of the most cutting-edge flower farmers in the country. Because of the extensive revisions and enhanced content, The Flower Farmer, 2nd Edition is essential reading for those already in the flower business, as well as those who dream of growing flowers for enjoyment or profit.
The Organic Farming Manual
Providing expert tips on tending the land, caring for animals, and necessary equipment, Ann Larkin Hansen also covers the intricate process of acquiring organic certification and other business considerations important to a profitable operation. Discover the rewarding satisfaction of running a successful and sustainable organic farm.
Farmacology
In Farmacology, practicing family physician and renowned nutrition explorer Daphne Miller brings us beyond the simple concept of "food as medicine" and introduces us to the critical idea that it's the farm where that food is grown that offers us the real medicine. By venturing out of her clinic and spending time on seven family farms, Miller uncovers all the aspects of farming--from seed choice to soil management--that have a direct and powerful impact on our health. Bridging the traditional divide between agriculture and medicine, Miller shares lessons learned from inspiring farmers and biomedical researchers and artfully weaves their insights and discoveries, along with stories from her patients, into the narrative. The result is a compelling new vision for sustainable healing and a treasure trove of farm-to-body lessons that have immense value in our daily lives. In Farmacology you will meet: a vegetable farmer in Washington State who shows us how the principles he uses to rejuvenate his soil apply just as well to our own bodies. Here we also discover the direct links between healthy soil and healthy humans. a beef farmer in Missouri who shows how a holistic cattle-grazing method can grow resilient calves and resilient children. an egg farmer in Arkansas who introduces us to the counterintuitive idea that stress can keep us productive and healthy. We discover why the stressors associated with a pasture-based farming system are beneficial to animals and humans while the duress of factory farming can make us ill. a vintner in Sonoma, California, who reveals the principles of Integrated Pest Management and helps us understand how this gentler approach to controlling unwanted bugs and weeds might be used to treat invasive cancers in humans. a farmer in the Bronx who shows us how a network of gardens offers health benefits that extend far beyond the nutrient value of the fruits and vegetables grown in the raised beds.
Tomorrow's Table
By the year 2050, Earth's population will double. If we continue with current farming practices, vast amounts of wilderness will be lost, millions of birds and billions of insects will die, and the public will lose billions of dollars as a consequence of environmental degradation. Clearly, there must be a better way to meet the need for increased food production. Written as part memoir, part instruction, and part contemplation, Tomorrow's Table argues that a judicious blend of two important strands of agriculture--genetic engineering and organic farming--is key to helping feed the world's growing population in an ecologically balanced manner. Pamela Ronald, a geneticist, and her husband, Raoul Adamchak, an organic farmer, take the reader inside their lives for roughly a year, allowing us to look over their shoulders so that we can see what geneticists and organic farmers actually do. The reader sees the problems that farmers face, trying to provide larger yields without resorting to expensive or environmentally hazardous chemicals, a problem that will loom larger and larger as the century progresses. They learn how organic farmers and geneticists address these problems. This book is for consumers, farmers, and policy decision makers who want to make food choices and policy that will support ecologically responsible farming practices. It is also for anyone who wants accurate information about organic farming, genetic engineering, and their potential impacts on human health and the environment.
The Winter Harvest Handbook
"Brimming with ingenuity, hope, and eminently practical advice, The Winter Harvest Handbook is an indispensable contribution."--Michael Pollan "Useful, practical, sensible, and enlightening information for the home gardener."--Martha Stewart With The Winter Harvest Handbook, everyone can have access to organic farming pioneer Elliot Coleman's hard-won experience. Gardeners and farmers can use the innovative, highly successful methods Coleman describes in this comprehensive handbook to raise crops throughout the coldest of winters. Building on the techniques that hundreds of thousands of farmers and gardeners adopted from Coleman's The New Organic Grower and Four-Season Harvest, this book focuses on growing produce of unparalleled freshness and quality in customized unheated or, in some cases, minimally heated, movable plastic greenhouses. Inside, you'll find Coleman's clear, concise, and meticulous details [including many accompanying illustrations] on: Greenhouse construction and maintenance Planting schedules Crop management Harvesting practices Marketing methods Coleman's painstaking research and experimentation with more than 30 different crops will be valuable to small farmers, homesteaders, and experienced home gardeners who seek to expand their production seasons. A passionate advocate for the revival of small-scale sustainable farming, Coleman provides a practical model for supplying fresh, locally grown produce during the winter season, even in climates where conventional wisdom says it "just can't be done." "The incomparable Eliot Coleman is back."--The New York Times "A Renaissance man for a new generation."--Dan Barber