Trisha and Nolan Zachman farm in a small town two hours west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They grow a variety of crops including corn, soybeans, rye, wheat, sorghum, and peas; pasture-raise pigs for specialty meat company Niman Ranch; and care for chickens, sheep, ducks, geese, alpacas, and numerous cats—in addition to raising two young children and…
Although the negative effects of insecticides and herbicides on beneficial and non-target invertebrates are well documented, there is limited information on potential negative impacts of pest and weed management practices used in organic farming on invertebrate activity. Using established field experiments designed to compare different ground cover crops (used to suppress weeds and increase nitrogen…
The Mediterranean Basin is evolving due to human – nature interactions. The management of agroecosystems strongly affects plant diversity. Olive groves cover 19% of the cultivated area in Greece of which 8% is organic, cultivated using environment-friendly farming practices, while the rest includes conventional (intensive) or abandoned olive groves. Lesbos, the third largest island of…
Making the benefits of different types of farming plain for the public could provide better protection for the British countryside, according to a new study. Led by a team at the University of Reading, the research says greater education about sustainable agriculture in the UK is needed in order to support farmers. This includes clearing…