Category: Sustainability
Stretching fertilizers
Skyrocketing fertilizer prices are popularizing input enhancer alternatives.
Prescriptive cover crops
Restoring soil health is about more than bulk mixes.
Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge open for applications
Offering $165,000 throughout the competition, Farm Bureau is calling U.S. startups to show off their innovations that tackle challenges in farming and rural communities.
Farmers key to renewable energy future
Current farmers and those fallowing their land are eyeing renewables for the offset, the potential income and to help California reach its 2045 goal of 100% renewable and carbon-neutral electricity.
Regenerative farming brings animals into orchards
The 1,000 Farms Initiative, research led by Ecdysis Foundation, aims to quantify regenerative agriculture’s potential impacts, with a goal of inspiring its methods nationally.
The value in shell waste
One company is transforming almond shells into multiple promising products.
Climate-smart agriculture efforts at UC ANR bolstered by funding
California has the largest, most diverse agricultural economy in the country, but is highly vulnerable to climate change, stressing the need for climate-smart practices using local information and resources.
Website offers composting resources to farmers and ranchers
With California’s new composting laws in effect, a working group of multiple regulatory agencies has provided online resources to help growers compost in compliance.
Federal-state work group has on-farm compost research site for farmers, ranchers
The site includes information and tools to help farmers compost agricultural byproducts in compliance with regulations.
USDA announces Agricultural Outlook Forum theme and program
The theme – New Paths to Sustainability and Productivity Growth – will focus on innovations minimizing agriculture’s environmental footprint while ensuring sustainability and improving yields.
Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops tracks sustainability
In partnership with CropTrak’s technology, users across the supply chain can baseline the environmental impacts of nuts and other crops and identify opportunities for improvement.
Perennial plants among rain-fed almond trees curbs climate change
Cover crops, reduced tilling and compost are common farming practices for sustainability, but European researchers are determining that the introduction of perennial plants – such as thyme – in almond can help mitigate climate change.
Almond orchard recycling and the second life of the trees
Whole orchard recycling works on a number of levels by giving trees a second life after they have been pulled out of the earth, including increasing water holding capacity and sequestering carbon.
BetterSoil Alliance rewards growers for sustainable achievements
Launched by Yara North American and Heliae Agriculture, participants will be eligible to receive a sustainability reward based on water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency, as well as recognition in the Alliance.
Dairy and almond groups partner on healthy soils research
University of California, Davis, researchers are recycling dairy manure and almond twigs into a nutrient-rich, safe, organic soil amendment to help build soil resilience and reduce waste.