Small grains – wheat, barley, oats, and rye – have been in cultivation in Western Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia since the fur-trade era of the mid‐1800s. Today, these crops and pseudo-grains (e.g. quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) are grown in rotation with high‐value fruit and vegetable, as well as on pastures and haylands. Consumer demand […]
Reduced tillage can improve soil quality and reduce fossil fuel use. Adopting reduced tillage in organic production poses challenges because farmers rely on tillage as a primary means of weed management and for incorporating soil amendments to maintain soil fertility and quality. Recent research on organic reduced tillage has focused on mechanically terminated and mulched […]
Organic vegetable growers in western Washington pass over their fields 10 to 20 times annually with tillage equipment ranging from spring tooth harrows to mold board plows. Soil preparation activities such as plowing, rototilling, and even spading pulverize large‐bodied soil organisms and reduce soil carbon storage and aggregates. Successful reduced tillage in organic agriculture relies […]
Increased costs of feed and the desire to enhance on-farm livestock feed production have created a need for alternative fodder and forage crops. Historically, many crops such as fodder beets, swedes, carrots and kale were used for livestock feed. Many small-scale crop producers in western Washington are looking to diversify their farming operations to include […]