Each thumb drive includes:

• Books
• Bulletins
• Fact Sheets
• Regional Materials
• Report from the Field
• SARE Program Materials
• Videos from the Field
• Youth Education Resources

Individual USB drives do not qualify for our standard quantity discounts, but they can also be purchased in lots of 10 at a discount.

Resources published after 8/1/2023 are not currently included in this product. Check the table of contents for a complete list of publications included.

Resources and Learning

Explore new SARE resources and learning materials

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Each thumb drive includes:

• Books
• Bulletins
• Fact Sheets
• Regional Materials
• Report from the Field
• SARE Program Materials
• Videos from the Field
• Youth Education Resources

USB drives can also be purchased individually.

This price for lots of 10 USB drives reflects a discounted rate, Purchases for lots of 10 in quantity do not qualify for additional discounts.

Resources published after 8/1/2023 are not currently included in this product. Check the table of contents for a complete list of publications included. (This reduced price reflects the full discount available for buying in quantity.)

SARE Library USB Drive

All of SARE’s current publications right at your fingertips.

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In 1992, there were 3,587 organic operations in the United States. Almost 25 years later, that number has more than quintupled to 24,650 certified organic operations as of 2016.

What accounts for this explosive growth in organic products, which now comprise almost five percent of the U.S. food market?

For one, consumers have responded to the environmental and health-related advantages of organically produced food. Between 2005 and 2015, sales of organic products skyrocketed from $13.8 billion to $43.3 billion, helping fuel the rapid growth of the industry.

Organic foods and products are also more readily available than ever before. A 2015 study by the Organic Trade Association showed that 78 percent of consumers who buy organic were able to purchase organic goods at supermarkets and approximately half of consumers who purchase organic were able to buy some of their organic goods at “big box” stores.

All of this consumer interest has been good for farmers and ranchers. Due to price premiums, farmers have the potential to achieve equal or greater profits than with their non-organic products. Responding to this need, certified organic acreage has more than quadrupled over the last 25 years, growing from 935,000 certified acres in 1992 to 4 million today.

However, organic farming and ranching can be challenging and complex. USDA certification regulations dictate specific growing practices, and farmers must choose from a list of approved materials for fertility and pest management. Managing a whole system can be more complex than managing a few crops and requires a more holistic approach. With organic farming, management strategies are rarely prescriptive. Instead, they are system based, meaning growers must have a broader and deeper understanding of their entire system.

In order to address the challenges for both new and experienced organic growers, SARE has now organized research results on organic production practices and approaches from over 30 years of SARE grants to researchers, farmers and Extension educators in this Organic Topic Room.

Collated into one convenient, easy-to-navigate location, SARE’s Organic Production topic room presents ample resources on organic production by topic. Scroll down for more information on what’s in the topic room, or go directly to the table of contents to find the information you need to manage pests, choose seeds and stock, develop a whole-farm system approach, market your products, implement conservation practices on your organic farm, transition to organic, become certified, and much more.

Pest Management

Organic pest management tends to require more intensive management than non-organic management because you must understand the life cycle of your pests as well as the biological factors that influence pest growth and control. This pest management section, which covers insects, weeds and diseases, offers information on a suite of management practices including integrated pest management, biological control, ecological strategies, physical control and shade cloths, weed control, weed prevention, organic insect control and plant disease control.

Whole Systems

To be successful, organic operations must be managed as an integrated, whole system. This whole systems page provides information on whole farm planning, horticultural systems and grain systems. Topics covered include conservation, cover crops, organic farm examples, nutrient management plans and research on soil, crops and farming systems.

Seeds

Everything starts with seeds. This seeds section includes organic seed production guides, handbooks, tutorials and books that can assist you with growing your own organic seeds. The resources also provide information on the challenges of, and need for, organic seed production.

Fertility Management

Ensuring healthy soil is imperative to a profitable and successful organic system. In organic farming systems, the majority of nutrients are supplied from organic matter additions such as compost, manure and cover crops. This fertility management section provides information on building healthy soils via crop rotation, cover crops, manure and compost. It also includes information on nutrient management plans and nutrient management case studies.

Tillage

Without the ability to use many common herbicides, organic producers typically rely on tillage to manage both weeds and cover crops in annual crop production systems. However, other tools that minimize soil disturbance are becoming increasingly viable, including the use of roller/crimpers, flame weeders, mulches and deep-rooting cover crops. No-till and conservation tillage systems are important elements of organic farming systems as they help conserve soil and can be used for pest management.

This no-till section has resources on farming approaches that combine reduced tillage with other strategies such as cover crops, organic insect control and physical control, as well as resources on how to substitute no-till for black plastic.

Animal Systems

Livestock are a central component of many organic operations, both for their end products and for the role they can play in fertility management for organic cropping systems. This animal systems page provides information on organic poultry farming, organic dairy farming, and integrated crop/livestock systems, as well as broader guides on farming organic for livestock and poultry.

Marketing

This organic marketing page has information on the business aspects of transitioning to organic, and resources for organic farming business plans, crop share agreements, renting land and building sustainable farms.

Certification

All agricultural products labeled organic must be in compliance with USDA organic regulations, and all growers with over $5,000 in production who wish to label their product organic must be certified by a USDA accredited agency. Resources in this certification section will help you with the organic certification process, one of the most important steps in transitioning your farm to organic. Visit the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) website for complete regulatory information.

Conservation

Organic farming and conservation have many overlaps. This conservation section provides materials to help you understand and take advantage of conservation planning resources, practices and programs that support soil conservation, water conservation and conservation tillage methods. This section also has information on the USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program.

USDA organic regulations, organic production principles and NRCS conservation planning objectives align closely and include many opportunities to simultaneously meet both conservation objectives and organic regulations. Although organic standards regarding natural resources do not set quantitative criteria, they require the producer to maintain (not degrade) natural resources, and in fact encourage the producer to improve the resource condition. The NRCS conservation planning process applies to all types of agricultural operations, including organic farms. There are, however, a few considerations unique to organic systems that may impact the planning process. This section focuses only on the issues and opportunities related to organic systems, not the general conservation planning process. To achieve these objectives, organic producers commonly implement a number of conservation practices that align well with NRCS conservation activities. For example, the 2008 USDA Organic Production Survey identified frequently used conservation practices such as using green manures and animal manures as nutrient sources (65 percent of respondents), buffer strips (58 percent), water management practices (51 percent), notill or minimum-till (38 percent), beneficial insect habitat (32 percent), and rotational grazing (21 percent).

Transitioning to Organic

This transitioning to organic page has many resources on how to convert from a conventional farm to an organic farm. In this section, find information on nutrient management plans, training for beginning farmers, handbooks, guides, manuals and workbooks on how to transition.

Free Resource on the Organic Transition

SARE's book, Organic Transition: A Business Planner for Farmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs will help you develop an actionable business transition plan that is suitable for yourself, your management team or a lender. Free to download; available in print.

What is Organic?

Organic production is defined by the USDA as a set of practices that comply with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) regulations and in larger practice, encompasses a whole system approach to farming that integrates biological, cultural and mechanical practices to foster nutrient cycling, ecological balance and conserve biodiversity, and, provide a wealth of benefits to the environment by:

• using cover crops, manure and conservation tillage to build soil health and reduce erosion  
• promoting biodiversity by mixed species plantings and rotations
• using biological control to minimize exposure to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
• promoting the well-being of livestock by minimizing hormones and antibiotics and using alternative health care, and
• focusing on renewable resources, soil and water conservation and other management practices that enhance ecological balance.

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As more innovative farmers seek ways to reduce energy use and increase agricultural efficiency, they are turning to renewable energy sources and sustainably produced biofuels. The information that they need can now be found in the Sustainable Production and Use of On-Farm Energy Topic Room, which has useful tools and resources created by producers, researchers and educators. This is a one-stop shop to help you pursue sustainable energy strategies on your farm or ranch, realizing reduced costs and increased profits.

Around the country, farmers and ranchers are looking to their land and operations as a means to produce renewable energy in various forms, including wind power, solar power, anaerobic digestion and biomass energy. The use of such sustainable energy in agriculture allows farmers to not only reduce costs but also to generate long-term sources of income.

Growing Biofuel Crops

Biofuels replace fossil fuels by using recently harvested plants; oilseed production for biofuels typically involves such plants as camelina, canola and sunflowers. Growing biofuel crops is considered renewable because the plants can be replenished quickly and easily. As side benefits, producers have a good source of feed production and can add oilseeds to multi-year crop rotations.

Common plant feedstocks include oilseeds (such as camelina, canola and sunflowers), sugar crops and grasses. Biomass pellets can be produced from perennial grasses, such as switchgrass. In the Biofuel Feedstocks section of the topic room, discover feedstocks that are suited to your region and operation, and learn methods for sustainable biofuel production.

Roger Rainville is ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing costs by growing biofuel crops on his farm near Alburgh, Vt. As shown in this video, Rainville has developed expertise in producing, harvesting, processing and storing canola (and sunflower) oil, as well as the technical aspects of converting that oil into biofuel for use on the farm.

Creating Biofuel

Biofuel energy can be created as biodiesel or ethanol, or converted from animal waste. Biodiesel is produced by combining vegetable oil or animal fat, alcohol and a catalyst, and it can be used in most diesel engines without any modifications. Ethanol can be produced from corn or fruit. For example, Dan West, who farms in Macon, Mo., turns excess apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums and pears into ethanol. Using his ethanol to power his mower and tractor helps him be more self-sufficient.

Co-Products

Growing and processing biofuel crops such as camelina and other oilseeds produces both the oil and the meal. The oil can be used on farm or sold for a profit, and the meal can be used as a feed, reducing costs. This becomes a win-win for the producer. 

Solar-Powered Agriculture

Solar-powered farms use this clean, renewable energy to augment or replace existing fossil fuel energy sources. Solar energy on farms can be used for heating water, buildings and barns, and for creating power to operate equipment.

For example, one Northeast farm has expanded their growing season with an active solar heating system. They now can grow greens throughout the winter, as well as tropical fruits.

Start with the basics and explore generating electricity from the sun, including the considerations you need to make before deciding to invest in a solar electricity system.

Wind Power for Farms

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wind energy is the world’s fastest-growing energy technology. The wind’s force is converted into mechanical power or electricity. On-farm wind turbines can stand alone, be connected to the grid or be combined with farm solar power. Many producers use wind power for water pumps; others have “wind turbine farms” in addition to their crops or livestock. Large wind turbines typically use less than half an acre of land, and farmers can continue to plant crops and graze livestock right up to the base of the turbines.

New York farmer Raymond Luhrman describes how his family operates their community-supported agriculture operation from electricity produced right on site.

True sustainability in agriculture involves an effort toward reducing energy use. The energy alternatives highlighted here will help you improve your own energy efficiency while improving your bottom line!

Using solar or wind energy or producing biofuels from crop feedstocks and anaerobic digestion helps farmers achieve energy independence while improving profitability and reducing fossil fuel emissions. Dig deeper to find educational resources on the production and use of on-farm energy.

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This toolkit is intended to support SARE Farmer/Rancher grantees hosting events related to their SARE-funded project. It also contains information and resources relevant to all producers.

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The content on this page is available as a topic brief (PDF download), High Tunnels and other Season Extension Techniques. Use the Order button on this page to order free hard copies.

This topic room was created to provide information for producers and educators interested in generating more income by extending the growing season. Dig deeper to find educational resources on the following topics:

Overview | Types and Construction | Cultivar Selection and Variety Trials | Fertility Management | Pest Management | Water Management  | Temperature Management | Marketing and Economics

Getting Started With Season Extension Techniques

Spurred by enthusiasm for fresh, local agricultural products, farmers are increasing the availability of their crops beyond the traditional outdoor growing season. Premium prices and an extended income stream are some of the advantages farmers pursue with season extension techniques. Main strategies for creating extended-season sales include: growing in greenhouses, high tunnels (or “hoop houses”) or under temporary row covers; storing non-perishable crops for sale in the off season; or minimally processing crops.

Commercial hoop house production has increased rapidly in recent years because these structures promote increased crop quality and productivity, and extend the growing season. This leads to rapid payback on investment. The growing environment inside a hoop house is different from the field, and thus crop management differs in many key areas. The High Tunnels and Other Season Extension Techniques topic room includes information to help you explore and implement season extension strategies on your farm. In addition, learn more about local food systems in another SARE topic room.

Take a Hoop House Tour

Join University of Vermont Extension and NOFA-Vermont for a series of on-farm workshops highlighting the ways that Vermont farmers at various scales are using high tunnels and greenhouses to improve their farm operations, and how they made decisions about energy efficiency the construction and use of these structures.

Season Extension: Types and Construction

Seasonal structures that protect crops from cold temperatures and inclement weather vary widely in size, shape, materials and purpose. The following are common types.

Row Covers

Row covers are sheets or strips of synthetic, breathable fabric of various weights and mesh diameters. Sometimes greenhouse plastic is also used. These materials are placed over individual rows, with or without supporting wire hoops, or over entire fields. “Floating” row covers are unsupported, laying directly on the plant leaves as the crop grows.

Low Tunnels and Caterpillar Tunnels

Low tunnels and caterpillar tunnels are seasonal structures covered with the same materials as row covers, but with rigid supports such as metal or plastic tubing, or electrical conduit. Low tunnels are typically 2 to 3 feet high and cover the width of a growing bed. Like row covers, they protect cold-hardy crops in winter and spring plantings from cold and wind. Low tunnels are increasingly used for pest management also. Caterpillar tunnels are three-season structures and are typically 6 to 8 feet high and 10 to 20 feet wide. They are usually held in place with ropes anchored to the ground. Ventilation must be managed manually. Caterpillars and low tunnels differ from high tunnels in that they are removed when not in use, are much less durable and are much more portable. They represent a lower investment than high tunnels.

High Tunnels or Hoop Houses

High tunnels, or hoop houses, are simple greenhouse-like structures over bare ground, without the elaborate heating and cooling systems of a greenhouse. They rely primarily on passive solar heating and passive ventilation. High tunnels generally have steel pipe frames set into the ground and are covered with one or two layers of greenhouse-grade plastic. They are irrigated using drip systems, hand watering or small sprinklers. Roll-up sidewalls, usually hand cranked but sometimes automated, provide ventilation in hoop house construction. They may also have end-wall vents (louvers) or ridge vents. Crops grow in the ground, raised beds or containers. The ground may be bare, or it may be covered with landscape fabric, plastic mulch or an organic mulch such as straw. Guides for high tunnel design and construction are abundant; check out the Types and Construction section of the topic room for Extension guides with detailed hoop house plans, including photos and designs.

Smaller hoop houses may be Quonset shaped (half-circle frame) while larger tunnels are Gothic shaped (peaked frame). Gothic frames shed snow well. Both designs are best with internal bracing to provide stability during wind or snow. Ground posts must be securely anchored to ensure structural stability. Multi-bay high tunnels are built side by side to cover more acreage with less exposed surface area. They require gutters and structural reinforcement to handle rain and snow shed from the top of the bays. Multi-bay high tunnels are generally not considered four-season structures in regions with snowy winters, as they cannot bear a snow load.

Greenhouses

Greenhouses tend to be similar in size to high tunnels or larger, often with more structural strength. They may or may not have a permanent foundation. They are covered with one or two layers of greenhouse plastic, rigid polycarbonate or glass. Greenhouses have supplemental heat from a furnace or boiler, and automated ventilation with fans and/or louvers. As greenhouse heating, cooling and irrigation are automated, full electrical service is required.

Special Considerations for Seasonal High Tunnel Production

The growing environment inside a high tunnel varies in many important ways from field production, and those differences will influence the way crops are managed.

Cultivar Selection and Variety Trials

The desirable characteristics of crop cultivars/varieties for seasonal high tunnel production are much the same as field production: good yield, high quality and pest tolerance. However, depending on the season, hoop house cultivars/varieties must be able to thrive in higher temperatures and relative humidity, tolerate freezing, or have their day-length requirement met. Thus, the best field cultivars/varieties are often not ideal for commercial hoop house farming. Pest pressure is also different, so tolerance to diseases or insects that are not prevalent outdoors may be a consideration. In the Cultivar Selection and Variety Trials section of the topic room, a good primer is the video What to Plant, part of a Kansas State series on commercial high tunnel vegetable production.

Fertility Management

In a seasonal high tunnel, plant growth may start earlier, last longer and/or lead to a significant increase in biomass and yield. Thus, nutrient needs may vary from field production, so plan fertilization accordingly. In addition, salt accumulation is a greater concern in a hoop house because rainfall does not leach nutrients from the soil. In a high tunnel, carefully monitor soil fertility status, including soluble salts, and conduct plant tissue analyses when making fertility decisions. Soil test annually in high tunnels, as pH can rise quickly in the absence of rain.

Pest Management

Many foliar diseases are eliminated from high tunnels, as rain and soil splashing are eliminated. However, due to higher humidity levels, a handful of diseases become more severe inside; thus proper ventilation is critical. Higher temperatures, the exclusion of rain and a humid microclimate inside the plant canopy can promote certain insect pests, especially if there is little or no fallow period. Aphids, thrips, spider mites and whiteflies are common insect pests inside high tunnels. The good news is that high tunnels are an excellent setting for using biological control agents due to the high value of the crops, the enclosed space (if ventilation openings are covered with mesh screens) and controlled environmental conditions that improve persistence. The Pest Management section of the topic room includes resources on such hoop house pest management strategies as tomato grafting for disease resistance, beneficial insects, physical pest exclusion and biofumigation.

Water Management

To take full advantage of hoop house farming, one must precisely control the supply of water to crops. Use drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the root zone, without wetting the foliage. This helps avoid foliar diseases and the washing off of foliar bioinsecticides. When there is plenty of light, high temperature and low humidity, crops will use a lot of water, but be careful not to overwater, as excessively wet soil can be difficult to dry out. Use soil-moisture monitoring devices to match the amount and timing of water to the crop’s needs. Consider providing soluble fertilizers through the drip system to “spoon feed” crops.

In a video and associated fact sheet, Iowa State University Extension specialists describe how to build a rainwater catchment system on a high tunnel and reuse the water for irrigation:

Temperature Management

In some hoop houses, the sun may satisfy all energy needs, with the soil acting as a nightly heat reservoir. Other hoop houses may have supplemental or emergency heating systems. High tunnels in colder climates where heat-loving crops are produced on the “shoulders” of the growing season will typically have furnaces or boilers to maintain the optimal temperature for growth. Understanding the temperature requirements of the crop, and then ventilating or heating to maintain that temperature is critical. Important energy conservation measures for high tunnels range from sealing cracks around doors and ventilation louvers to installing night-time heat curtains. Low tunnels can be instrumental in retaining heat stored in the soil during the night. Some high tunnels are also using renewable fuels to provide heat, such as biodiesel, shell corn, wood and solar hot water collectors. For low-growing crops, heating the soil with circulating water pipes below ground may be more efficient than heating the air inside the tunnel. The Temperature Management section of the Season Extension topic room includes resources on the important topics of energy conservation and alternative energy strategies.

Marketing and Economics

Thousands of commercial high tunnels are in use around the country because they make economic and marketing sense for many growers. High tunnels generally allow for improved pest control, making them a good option for organic production. However, carefully consider the potential costs and returns prior to getting into high tunnel farming. A possible avenue of support is through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which offers financial assistance for high tunnel construction. The net profit from high tunnel crops ranges from just a few cents per square foot up to several dollars per square foot, depending on yield, production expenses and grower skill. Labor is a special consideration. Be aware that high tunnel farming is relatively labor intensive and requires skill, and that such labor must be available to perform tasks in a timely fashion to ensure profitability. The Marketing and Economics section of the topic room includes resources on both hoop house production and general business planning, which may be of help.

Storing Crops

Storing field crops such as carrots or potatoes can lengthen their marketing window, which is another approach to season extension. The length of time that crops can be stored is a function of their postharvest physiology as well as pre-storage activities, including how they are produced, harvested and handled. Optimal storage conditions vary among crops. Five common sets of storage conditions for vegetable crops are:

• Cold and moist = 32°F and 90-95 percent relative humidity (RH). Beets, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc.
• Cold and dry = 32°F and 65-70 percent RH. Garlic and dry onions.
• Cool and moist = 45°F and 90 percent RH. Potatoes for table stock.
• Warm and moist = 57°F and 85-90 percent RH. Sweet potatoes.
• Warm and dry = 55°F and 50-70 percent RH. Winter squashes, including pumpkins.

Storage options include cold cellars or root cellars, walk-in coolers and cold rooms fitted with air conditioners and temperature-override controllers. Cold cellars are a low-cost, low-energy-use option, but may lack the environmental control of other options. Walk-in coolers use refrigeration systems and are widely found on wholesale farms, supermarkets and other places that handle large volumes of fresh produce. Cold rooms are widely used on farms with small volumes of storage produce.

Air conditioner temperature-override controllers such as CoolBot™ units allow residential air conditioners to provide cooling in small-scale storage units. These units require a sealed, well-insulated storage room to be effective, and they may have trouble cooling down produce with a lot of field heat in it.

In the Season Extension topic room, find guides on building a walk-in cooler and retrofitting an existing structure, developed by a Massachusetts nonprofit.

Light Processing of Crops

Field crops can be preserved and sold in the off-season through light processing techniques such as canning, dehydrating or freezing. To learn more about processing, see the Food Safety and Food Processing sections of the Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems topic room.

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The content on this page is available as a topic brief (PDF download), Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations. Use the Add to Cart button on this page to order free hard copies. Also available in Spanish and Chinese.

What is a Cover Crop?   

Cover crops should be viewed as a long-term investment in improved soil health and farm management. They can begin to pay for themselves in the first year of use, or it may take a few years for them to lead to a net positive return. For a detailed analysis of when cover crops begin to pay in different management scenarios, check out the SARE bulletin Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops.

A cover crop is a plant that is used primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, smother weeds, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and bring a host of other benefits to your farm.

Cover crops have also been shown to increase crop yields, break through a plow pan, add organic matter to the soil, improve crop diversity on farms and attract pollinators. There is an increasing body of evidence that growing cover crops increases resilience in the face of erratic and increasingly intensive rainfall, as well as under drought conditions. Cover crops help when it doesn’t rain, they help when it rains, and they help when it pours!

Cover Crops Increase Yield

Cover Crop Innovators Video Series

Farmers from across the country describing how they have successfully added cover crops to their cash crop rotations. Learn more.

Many research studies around the world demonstrate that cover crops can increase yield. The yield benefit is often apparent after just one year of using cover crops, and farmers will start to see other benefits, such as improved soil health, after several years of using them in crop rotation. According to an analysis of yield data collected in a national cover crop survey, farmers can expect a 3% increase in their corn yield and a 4.9% increase in soybeans after five consecutive years of cover crop use. In the drought year of 2012, farmers reported even greater yield increases when they used cover crops: 9.6% in corn and 11.6% in soybeans. Learn more in the SARE bulletin Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops.

Whether you are just starting with cover crops, or have some experience growing them, the SARE Cover Crop Topic Room has a wealth of information you can use. Here we summarize some of it and provide an introduction to many of the benefits of growing cover crops. For in-depth resources, visit the website listed in each section.

A Profitable Long-Term Investment

Determining when cover crops pay for themselves is not as simple as comparing the added first-year costs with the return on the following crop. Cover crops should be viewed as a long-term investment that gradually improve farm management in multiple areas. Over time, this investment leads to lower costs and, sometimes, increased revenue. An analysis in the SARE bulletin Cover Crop Economics reveals that in some situations cover crops can pay off in year one, such as when they are used for grazing or to manage herbicide-resistant weeds. In other situations, such as when using them to alleviate compaction or to improve nutrient management, a payoff is more likely in the second or third year.

Cover Crops and Soil Health

Cover crops play an essential role in improving soil health and are associated with numerous on-farm benefits, such as controlling erosion, improving water infiltration and managing nutrients. Check out our interactive infographic, What is Soil Health, to learn more about the relationships between on-farm practices, soil health benefits and the complex web of life within the soil.

Selection and Management

To select cover crops for your operation, first identify your primary objectives for adding them to your system. Do you want to add nitrogen to your soil, increase organic matter to improve soil health, reduce erosion, provide weed control, manage nutrients, and/or conserve soil moisture? While all cover crops provide many of these benefits, some species or “cocktails” (cover crop mixes) are better than others, depending on your specific objectives.

Next, identify the best time and place to fit cover crops into your rotation (see also Crop Rotations, below). Are you looking for winter cover crops to scavenge nitrogen, summer cover crops to break soil compaction, a window in a small-grain rotation to supply much needed nutrients, or even a full-year cycle to improve soil or suppress weeds? Consider creating a new rotation or modifying an existing one to accommodate your long-term objectives for planting cover crops. Also remember that there is likely no single cover crop that is right for your farm (see Cocktails or Mixtures, below).

Finally, think through exactly how and when you will seed, terminate and plant into your cover crop. Do you know a reliable source for cover crop seeds, what will the weather be like, can you get into the field, do you want it to winterkill, and what labor and equipment will you need? Find information to help you answer these questions in Selection and Management, but above all, consult local expertise, including other farmers.

Legumes

Legume cover crops (red clover, crimson clover, vetch, peas, beans) can fix a lot of nitrogen (N) for subsequent crops, generally ranging from 50-150 pounds per acre, depending on growing conditions. You can usually reduce your nitrogen fertilizer inputs following a legume, but they are not very good at scavenging nitrogen that is left over after your cash crops.

Legumes also help prevent erosion, support beneficial insects and pollinators, and they can increase the amount of organic matter in soil, although not as much as grasses. Legumes differ in their productivity and adaptability to soil and climatic conditions. If a legume fits your cover crop objectives, seek additional information in the Overview of Legume Cover Crops section of Managing Cover Crops Profitably or with local expertise to identify the best ones for your conditions.

Non-Legumes

Non-legume cover crops include the cereals (rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale), forage grasses (annual ryegrass) and broadleaf species (buckwheat, mustards and brassicas, including the forage radish). Non-legumes are most useful for scavenging nutrients, providing erosion control, suppressing weeds and producing large amounts of residue that adds soil organic matter.

Plant a non-legume whenever a field has excess nutrients, particularly nitrogen. When planted as a fall cover crop, non-legumes consistently take up 30-50 pounds of nitrogen per acre. If large amounts of nitrogen are left in the soil from the summer crop or due to a history of manure applications, non-legumes can scavenge upwards of 150 pounds per acre. Depending on your conditions—including soil residual nitrogen status—you may not be able to reduce your nitrogen fertilizer inputs for the subsequent crop, particularly in the first few years of cover cropping. To learn more about non-legume cover crops, read the Overview of Non-Legume Cover Crops section of Managing Cover Crops Profitably or consult with local expertise.

Cocktails or Mixtures

Although seeding and management of cover crop mixes or “cocktails” can become more complicated, planting them allows you to attain multiple objectives at once. Cover crop mixtures offer the best of both worlds by combining the benefits of grasses and legumes, or using the different growth characteristics of several species to fit your needs. Compared to pure stands of legumes or non-legumes, cocktails usually produce more overall biomass and nitrogen, tolerate adverse conditions, increase winter survival, provide ground cover, improve weed control, attract a wider range of beneficial insects and pollinators, and provide more options for use as forage. However, cocktails often cost more, can create too much residue, may be difficult to seed and generally require more complex management. Find out more information about cocktails and cover crop mixes in the Grass/Legume Mixes chapter of Managing Cover Crops Profitably. 

Crop Rotations

One of the biggest challenges of cover cropping is to fit cover crops into your current rotations, or to develop new rotations that take full advantage of their benefits. There may be a role for cover crops in almost all rotations, but the diversity of cropping systems precludes addressing them here. Find more information by reading Crop Rotation on Organic Farms and Managing Cover Crops Profitably, reviewing the Crop Rotations page of this topic room, and consulting local expertise.

Whether you add cover crops to your existing rotations or totally revamp your farming system, you should devote as much planning and attention to your cover crops as you do to your cash crops. Failure to do so can lead to failure of the cover crop and cause problems in other parts of your system.

Cover Crops for No-Till Farming

No-till farming or other conservation agriculture systems are good opportunities to plant cover crops. The cover crop mulch can increase water infiltration and also improve moisture availability by preventing evaporation. Cover crop residue helps control weeds, which is especially important in organic no-till agriculture. For resources on this subject, read the results of SARE-funded resesarch on the No-Till page of this topic room. 

Cover Crops for Organic Farms

Plant cover crops in organic farming to provide nitrogen, manage weeds and improve soil health. In organic no-till farming, use a roller-crimper to kill the cover crop and leave the mulch on the soil surface to conserve water. Or, incorporate the cover crop into the soil (sometimes called a green manure) before planting your main crop.

Soil and Fertility Management

Cover crops maintain and improve soil fertility in a number of ways. Protection against soil loss from wind and water erosion is perhaps the most obvious soil benefit, but providing organic matter is a more long-term and equally important goal. Cover crops contribute indirectly to overall soil fertility and health by catching nutrients before they can leach out of the soil profile or, in the case of legumes, by adding nitrogen to the soil. Their roots can even help unlock some nutrients in the soil, converting them to more available forms. The amount and availability of nutrients from cover crops will vary widely depending on such factors as species, planting date, plant biomass and maturity at termination date, residual soil fertility, and temperature and rainfall conditions. See the Soil and Fertility Management section of this topic room or Building Soils For Better Crops for more information on building soil health by using cover crops and other practices on your farm.

Climate Resilience and Water

Evidence is mounting that cover crops help stabilize yields and improve moisture availability in the face of increasingly erratic weather. Is it too wet in the spring? Cover crops take up water (via evapotranspiration) and usually allow you onto the field earlier than if you did not have a cover crop growing. Alternatively, if facing drought or practicing dryland farming, cover crops still help boost yields while being very efficient with water use. If you use no-till farming, the cover crop mulch increases water infiltration and conserves moisture into the summer. Added carbon and root channels, in addition to increased soil pore space, help improve soil water-holding capacity—in any tillage system. For more information on using cover crops to address erratic weather events, visit the Water Management page of this topic room. Also, see the Ecosystem Services from Cover Crops page for information on how cover crops protect water quality.

The SARE bulletin Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches has more information on the role of soil health in climate risk management.

Pest Management

Cover crop effects on agricultural pests are multi-faceted. With careful attention to cultivar choice, placement and timing, cover crops can reduce infestations by insects, diseases, nematodes and weeds. Cover crops that attract and retain beneficial insects—when allowed to flower—include buckwheat, clovers (crimson, red, white, sweet) and brassicas. Cover crop mulches suppress weeds and reduce splashing of soil-borne pathogens onto leaves, while some, such as sudangrass, brassicas and mustards, reduce populations of verticillium wilt and other soil pathogens. Other mulches have been shown to suppress nematodes. In Michigan, for example, some potato growers report that two years of radish improves potato production and lowers pest control costs. Pest-fighting cover crop systems help minimize pesticide use, and as a result cut costs and reduce your chemical exposure. Find examples of farmers using cover crops to combat insect pests and weeds in the Pest Management section of this topic room. 

Ecosystem Services

Cover crops enhance biodiversity on the farm and contribute to a healthier ecosystem in many ways. Flowering cover crops can provide food and habitat for important pollinators and beneficial insects. They can also support birds and other wildlife. Cover crops protect water quality by curbing soil erosion and reducing nitrogen losses by an average of 48%. By stimulating biological activity in the soil, cover crops planted on a large scale can sequester huge amounts of atmospheric carbon.

For more information on how to attract pollinators to your farm using cover crops, see the comprehensive SARE bulletin, Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. To learn about other methods of attracting beneficial insects, read Agroecological Strategies to Enhance On-Farm Insect Pollinators from Managing Insects on Your Farm.

Conclusions

Regardless of your objectives for growing cover crops, there are many viable and tested options available for you to try. Consult the many resources available, talk to other farmers, and start with small plots as you fine-tune your system. Be sure to see the book, Managing Cover Crops Profitably and browse around this Cover Crop Topic Room for more information.

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Discover a wealth of educational materials for farmers, ranchers, ag professionals, community organizers and others who are striving to reconfigure the nation's food system so more value stays in food-producing communities.

The content on this page is available as a topic brief (PDF download), Building Local and Regional Food Systems. Use the green Order button on this page to order free hard copies.

Growing in popularity on dinner tables and in restaurants, food banks, schools and grocery stores around the nation, local food has become more than a buzzword. Local and regional food sales totaled an estimated $6.1 billion in 2012, and the movement is now one of the USDA’s funding priorities: In 2014 alone, the Secretary of Agriculture announced that hundreds of millions of dollars would go to economic development in rural areas, small businesses, value-added market growth, food hubs and more.  

From crop production to business management to marketing, farmers wear many hats. In addition to having the tools to grow crops, they need the tools to build a strong business that capitalizes on local sales opportunities. The Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems topic room has such tools—resources produced by farmers, ranchers, educators and other community members who are working to make local food more accessible to consumers.

Why Local and Regional Food Systems?

Local and regional food systems improve the vitality of communities in many ways, both rural and urban. They keep more food dollars in local communities and, in rural areas, offer new business opportunities that have the power to bring young people back home. More consumers are buying local out of a renewed interest to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. And farm to school programs, part of local food systems, aim to help kids make healthier food-purchasing decisions as they grow up.

Improving Business Capacity

Whether you are a beginning farmer or have been in the field for years, use SARE’s manual, Building a Sustainable Business (free download), for developing and writing a business plan.

Starting a farm presents many challenges, and in fact the number of beginning farmers dropped 20 percent from 2007 to 2012, according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture. The learning curve is steep, so reliable information—on production planning, risk and resource management, and accessing land, capital and markets—is critical to their success. Websites, such as the Vermont’s New Farmer Project created through a SARE Grant, serve as popular clearinghouses of general and state-specific information. Experienced farmers as well as beginners often need access to capital and financing if they plan to expand their farm business or buy new equipment in pursuit of new opportunities. The Capital and Finance section contains resources from SARE grantees who have found ways to help lenders overcome their perception of farmers as a risky investment. Other grantees offer guidance on how farmers and ranchers can obtain funding from alternative sources, rather than traditional banks.  

Land has become a surprisingly limited resource. Urban sprawl continues to exert upward pressure on land prices, making land access difficult for a farmer. Business Issues provides resources to help farmers, ranchers and ag professionals acquire new land, work with non-farming landowners and make sure farmland stays in production.

Accessing Markets and Marketing

Oregon farmer Scottie Jones used a SARE grant to create FarmStay, an interactive website that connects people looking for a place to stay with farms that offer lodging. This type of tourism is known as agritourism—in addition to accommodations, farms can provide educational and recreational experiences that expose community members to agriculture. Agritourism generates additional revenue and diversifies operations, which helps reduce the risk of farming. Beyond basic business planning, marketing—figuring out the most profitable way to sell a product—can be another serious challenge for busy farmers and ranchers. With increasing demand for local food, today’s producers are finding innovative ways to access new and existing markets.  

A marketing plan includes figuring out which consumers will be interested in your product, how many there are and how to reach them—all of which are important components of a profitable business. Part of marketing is advertising the product and setting the brand apart from competitors. Many producers have done this by sharing their farm story, which provides a personal touch for consumers who are far removed from food production and satisfies their desire to know the origin of what they eat.

Farmers sell their products directly to the consumer at farmers’ markets, and via community-supported agriculture (CSA) and pick-your-own programs. Others use an intermediary or middleman, such as cooperatives, food hubs, retailers, restaurants and schools, to help them distribute their produce locally. As a risk management strategy, farmers and ranchers often use multiple sales routes.

Building a local food system is not easy. Consumers must demand locally sourced products, communities must work together to establish the infrastructure needed to support a local system, and farmers must listen to and work with distributors, consumers and each other. The Community and Institutional Preparation section of the topic room includes case studies and assessments conducted by community stakeholders in Georgia, South Carolina, Oregon, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa who are working to create a cohesive regional food system. These assessments can serve as examples and, used alongside the Community-Based Food System Assessment and Planning Guide, will help communities start planning their local food system.

Farm to Table Video: Direct Marketing for Farmers and Ranchers

Distribution and Aggregation

There are many ways for farmers to get their products to local consumers. Farmers choose their outlets depending on what they grow, their location, and time and labor available. Some distribution channels include the aggregation of products from multiple farms, which provides the volume and consistency needed to reach larger markets. Typical distribution methods, all of which allow farmers to communicate their identity and production values to consumers, include: Cooperatives—Businesses owned and run by a group of farmers who work together to market, aggregate and sell their products. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)—Community members pay a produce subscription fee before the season starts, allowing the farmer to share risk with the consumer. Farmers’ Markets—Physical markets where farmers can rent a stall and sell their produce directly to the consumer. Food Hubs—A centrally located business that coordinates the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution and marketing of local and regional food products.  

Farm to School/Institution/Retail—Farmers and ranchers can sell wholesale directly to non-commercial and commercial outlets such as schools, grocery stores, restaurants and hospitals. Producers often partner with a cooperative or food hub to provide the quantity and consistency that such institutions require.

What are the components of a farm to school program?

A farm to school program must include at least one of the following three practices: a school garden, produce supplied from a local farm or agricultural education. According to the National Farm to School Network, 44 percent of U.S. schools have a farm to school program. This number has skyrocketed over the last decade, driven by a desire to get more fresh fruits and vegetables into school lunches and improve kids’ eating habits. Farm to School includes local-food purchasing guides for school lunch programs, toolkits that help train school kitchen staff to coordinate with local food producers, and curricula to teach youth about agriculture, farming and nutrition.

Food Safety

From farm to table, there are many points at which food can become unsafe for consumption. That is why farmers follow strict handling practices, as do those in charge of food processing, transportation, storage and delivery. Just like business management and marketing, even basic food safety benefits from having a strong plan in place so that everyone working on the farm, ranch or processing facility is familiar with required procedures. While food safety regulations continue to change, the Food Safety section has resources for farmers that include methods to keep produce safe, and approaches to help processors maintain a safe environment and work with a food safety inspector.

Food Processing

Producers can earn extra income by selling value-added products—crops and animals processed to increase their value and earn additional income. From jams to cheese, customers are willing to pay more for finished products that they are not accustomed to making themselves. Adding value can range from post-harvest handling (e.g., cleaning, processing and packaging) to developing a convenience or finished product (e.g., flour, yogurt or pickled goods) to meat processing and packaging. Farmers are turning oilseeds into palatable oils and ranchers are adding value to their sheep operations by processing and selling yarn. Producers who want to market their vegetables to a school will often have better luck if they sell them pre-cut and packaged, which requires processing methods and equipment.

Small-scale, local livestock processing declined dramatically with intensification of the industry, but such processors are beginning to reappear as more livestock producers become interested in selling locally. Food Processing has resources for people who want to build meat-processing facilities, including on-farm and mobile facilities. Once established, food processing can add profit for a farmer and provide convenience for consumers.

Farm to Table Video: Exploring Grass-Based Dairy  

Strong Communities

Many consumers are more eager to support local farmers when they perceive a social benefit to their community. This can take many shapes: Farmers can demonstrate fair treatment of farm labor, collaborate with schools on educational programs or reach out to low-income and underserved groups, to name a few approaches. The Strong Communities section includes tools to address these issues, including urban garden planning and marketing guides, and manuals for using food assistance programs at farmers’ markets.

Conclusion

Local and regional food systems will continue to grow as consumers demand produce from their communities and establish stronger relationships with their local farmers and ranchers. Producers, community members, consumers, educators and many others will continue to be involved in developing functioning local food systems. The Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems topic room has up-to-date resources to help these stakeholders as they work to improve their sector of the food system.

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All Toolbox materials can be downloaded from this page.

Get the Small Ruminant Toolbox to go!

All Toolbox materials are available on a USB flash drive for sale through NCAT. Contact debbier@ncat.org or call 1 (800) 346-9140 for current pricing.

Contents and Instructions

• Overall Table of Contents [PDF]
• How to Use the Toolbox
• Especially for Agents
• PowerPoint Library
• Small Ruminant Resource Manual
• Sheep and Goat FAQ
• Additional Resources

lindac@ncat.org and margoh@ncat.org

Susan Schoenian, Maryland Cooperative Extension Service

This Toolbox was developed with funding from a Southern SARE Professional Development Program grant, with further funding support from SARE Outreach.

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