Planting perennial prairie strips—environmental boon, while increasing agricultural production
Less erosion, reduced nitrogen runoff, and loads more butterflies and microorganisms—sound worth it? Planting perennial prairie strips on farms provides these benefits, and more. Missouri farmer Frank Oberle has been using one-mile-long prairie strips for over 15 years—strips of 30-120 feet wide placed along waterways, through fields, or in terrace channels—seeding them with native flowers […]
Read MoreDemand for non-GMO soybeans is “staggering”
U.S. soybean exports may have a record-breaking year for 2021—not just for the China market, but representing a vigorous, diverse base responding to the demand. “It won’t be a record to any one particular country…something we take pride in is our diverse footprint of U.S. soy going out,” said U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) CEO […]
Read MoreCertified organic packaged foods offer healthier profile with fewer processed ingredients linked to disease
When it comes to processed packaged foods, does it pay to purchase organic? A new peer-reviewed study by Environmental Working Group says it does. The study analyzed over 80,000 foods—8,240 organic and 72,205 conventional—and discovered fewer ingredients in organic products linked to negative health impacts. Packaged foods comprise over 60% of calories consumed in the […]
Read MoreThird-generation Ohio farmer made successful switch to organic
Although it hasn’t been easy, Scott Myers and his father flipped a 90-year-old farming system into organic in 2018—and are enjoying better yields, higher quality crops, and healthier soil as a result. Woodlyn Acres Farm in Dalton, Ohio used non-organic fertilizers and pesticides on their crops before switching to no till and organic practices such […]
Read MoreOne-third of Illinois farmland owners have interest in organic practices
Nearly a third of Illinois farmland owners said they have had more interest in organic practices, and this trend continues to pick up interest, according to a recent survey by Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA). The surprising finding was one of responses in the survey, which also found that Illinois […]
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