Events

Virtual Field Day: Integrating Livestock with Organic Crops and its Impacts on Food Safety and Soil Health 

Join the Organic Center and researchers as we all present findings on the impacts of cover-crop grazing on food safety and soil health for fresh spinach and cucumbers in organic systems. This webinar will provide attendees with an understanding of how grazing of cover crops in fresh vegetable production systems can be implemented in 3 different climates (humid coastal, humid continental, and semi-arid). This work has been completed through funds from a USDA -ARS grant* in collaboration with The Organic Center, University of California, University of Minnesota, University of Maryland... READ MORE

💻 WEBINAR ON-DEMAND | Virtual Field Day: Integrating Livestock in Organic Crops and Its Impacts on Food Safety and Soil Health

Virtual Field Day: Integrating Livestock in Organic Crops and Its Impacts on Food Safety and Soil Health 

The Organic Center partnered with researchers from Maryland, Minnesota, and California to present their findings on the impacts of cover-crop grazing on food safety and soil health for fresh spinach and cucumbers in organic systems. This webinar will provide you with an understanding of how grazing of cover crops in fresh vegetable production systems can be implemented in 3 different climates (humid coastal, humid continental, and semi-arid).

View the Recording of our Virtual... READ MORE
Hot Science

Preliminary study finds organic dairy practices protect cow health

Organic dairy cows are as healthy as their nonorganic counterparts when it comes to their risk for parasite infections, according to a pilot study from Italy published in Animals.

Contrary to nonorganic dairy production, regulations for organic dairy in Europe (and North America) require that cows receive access to pasture and restrict antimicrobial use, increasing their risk for parasites. The pilot study found that organic dairy... READ MORE

Replacing some beef consumption with meat alternatives could halve global CO2 emissions by 2050

When modeling the benefits of replacing beef consumption with fermented plant protein, a study found that just replacing 20% of global meat consumption with microbial protein alternatives could offset CO2 emissions and deforestation by more than half by 2050. The study’s findings were published in Nature last month. Population growth and dietary shifts toward animal-based products from middle-income countries are projected to increase livestock production in the coming decades.

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Can organic wheat farms support more bees than flower patches in nonorganic wheat?

As written in Eurasia Review:

How effective environmental measures in agriculture are for biodiversity and wild bee populations depends on various factors and your perspective. This is shown by agroecologists from the University of Göttingen, Germany and the Centre for Ecological Research in Vácrátót, Hungary. The research team found that when assessing the effectiveness of different measures, whether in the field (organic farming) or next to the field (flower strips in conventional farming), biodiversity... READ MORE

Agriculture at forest edges in Sebitoli alters chimpanzee behavior 

After learning that hungry chimpanzees feeding on maize fields bordering forests in Uganda benefit from the nutrition of the crops, the same study also points to exposure from pesticides as a drawback. Exposure to pesticides in crops and water can threaten chimp health with deformities and fertility problems. Previous studies in the study’s region link organophosphate, pyrethroid and other pesticide use like carbofuran, an insecticide that was canceled for use by the U.S. EPA in 2009, with negative health effects on... READ MORE