Learn to go big, then go home

How to compost in a very big way“Composting,” says CFAES scientist Fred Michel, “allows the valuable nutrients and carbon that organic materials contain to be used again, reduces fossil fuel use for fertilizers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and can be done economically.” Learn how to compost in a very big way.

Dec. 3: Conference for farmers on no-till

no till soybeansFor a farmer, choosing not to till the soil can make it more fertile and keep it from eroding, the former a plus for food production, the latter a boon to water. On Dec. 3, CFAES experts will speak on science-tested ways to carry out the practice. Details here and here (PDF). (Photo: No-till soybeans, NRCS.)

Red clover, red clover, send clean water over

red cloverThere’s a lot to be said for cover crops, and a new guide says it. Co-written by CFAES experts, Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide shows the hows and whys of growing red clover (pictured with a guest), alfalfa and many others, including some new possibilities. Look inside here. Buy it here. Cover crops’ pros include protecting and improving both soil and water.

Video series features soil health, ‘farmers who do things differently’

Healthy soils, as the saying goes, support healthy plants, healthy animals and healthy people. Healthy water, as it turns out, too. A new YouTube video series, whose contributors include experts from OSU Extension, CFAES’s statewide outreach arm, shows farmers how to achieve those soils, which form a foundation for sustainable agriculture. Soil microbes (3:09), cover crops and compaction (4:26) are some of the topics. Read more.

Managing manure can serve double doody: Can help both crops and water. Learn how …

image of manure and green field for GBManure has two shades of green, so to speak. The green of greater farm crop yields. And the green of a healthier environment, especially cleaner water. Organizers of the Aug. 14 Manure Science Review say farmers can see both at the same time and that the event will show how to do it. Read the story …