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Past Issues - page 2

Improve Plant Immunity

Microbially Friendly Farming By Dr. Judith Fitzpatrick [Originally published in Heart & Soil Magazine] Imagine that you were intelligent enough to diagnose a disease, prescribe the correct antimicrobial, and manufacture it. Plants with a healthy microbiome do this! The plant and microbes work together to perform this miracle. Organic farmers need 97% less of any… Keep Reading

The “Sweet Spot” for Farms to Enhance On-farm Biodiversity

By Kenzo Esquivel and Patrick Baur [This article originally was originally published with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and is shared here with gratitude.] Looking out across his 20 acres in California’s Central Coast, a farmer reflected on his journey: “One of the things I’m probably the proudest of in our tenure here on… Keep Reading

2023/GMO Updates/Seeds/Winter 2023

GM Seed Secrecy Threatens Organics

By Lucy Sharratt WARNING: This seed packet could soon be full of undisclosed genetically modified (GM) seeds. The biotechnology industry is pushing to take over the regulation of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) seeds and foods, and establish corporate self-regulation in place of government oversight. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is considering letting… Keep Reading

Organic Stories: Grounded Acres, Skwxwú7mesh territory

Digging into Community Darcy Smith Mel Sylvestre has been farming for almost 20 years, and she’s pretty sure she’ll never run out of lessons learned. From last year’s heat dome, to this year’s cold, wet weather, to figuring out just what type of kale customers want, every farming season brings new challenges—and new opportunities. She… Keep Reading

The More the Better? Multi-Species vs Single-Species Cover Crops for Carrots

By Frank Larney, Haley Catton, Charles Geddes, Newton Lupway, Tom Forge, Reynald Lemke, and Bobbi Helgason This article first appeared in Organic Science Canada magazine and is printed here with gratitude. In recent years, diverse cover crop mixes or ‘cocktails’, which contain as many as 15 different cover crop species, have gained popularity. Are these… Keep Reading

Climate Mitigation through Agroforestry

Emily Lorenz This article first appeared on the FarmFolk CityFolk website and is printed here with gratitude. Agroforestry integrates trees or shrubs with other crops and/or livestock. Trees can capture greenhouse gases through their branches, leaves, trunks, and roots, making them an important climate solution and aid in reducing emissions in agriculture. In addition to… Keep Reading

Agriculture Policy: What is All the Hoopla About?

Mary Paradis Most of Canada’s agricultural policy is delivered through five-year policy frameworks, co-developed and co-negotiated by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Meant to strengthen and grow Canada’s agriculture sector, the framework is agriculture’s primary policy document that guides how government supports farmers and has historically encompassed approximately $3 billion in public spending. Farmers… Keep Reading

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