Colorado farmer finds success with drought-resilient millet

The crunchy grain could gain popularity as the climate warms.

Can Taller Cover Crops Help Clean the Water in Farm Country?

In Minnesota, a local water quality program might serve as a model for incentivizing the next steps in regenerative farming.

Dandelions, New Grains and More: Are Alternative Crops Realistic?

Many companies, philanthropic organizations and national and international entities tout certain crops as promising alternatives

Budding farmer aims to normalize hemp

Alissa Gardner is on a mission to combat the government overreach and public misconceptions faced by hemp growers.

Don’t forget the fertilization basics

The above average temperatures spanning across the central states are likely bringing first hay cutting and grazing start dates to mind.

A long history of fruit production in Colorado

Did you know that Colorado has a long history of fruit production?

Hay – yes, hay – is sucking the Colorado River dry

Desert farming, wasteful irrigation and the profoundly thirsty crop is bringing the critical river to the brink.

Soil carbon in the root zone

Organic matter is a key indicator of soil health and soil function, affecting the natural supply of nutrients, buffering against pH changes, softening soil to resist compaction, holding more water for plant uptake, creating water-stable aggregates to resist erosion, and providing organic resources to feed soil biological communities.

Luna UCR avocado is one of TIME's '2023 best inventions'

A new avocado variety that is the result of decades of painstaking tree breeding by UC Riverside agricultural scientists has been selected as one of TIME's 2023 Best Inventions, the international news outlet announced Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Why forested Colorado barely has a Christmas tree industry

Colorado farmers are known for many beloved crops, from Palisade peaches and Olathe sweet corn to Rocky Ford melons.

B.C. farmers growing 'outlawed' potatoes are looking for new partners

A B.C. farmer that grows an outlawed breed of potato says it is important to preserve the hardy breed, even if they aren't suitable for large-scale commercial production.

Cordova kelp farmers need to process their harvest. A scientist is piloting a solution.

Sean Den Adel and his fiance Skye Steritz live in Cordova and are among a handful of small-scale seaweed farmers in Prince William Sound.

From hayfield to pasture

The first objective of conversion is to get something else growing in addition to alfalfa.

Gardening: How to preserve your late-summer harvest in Colorado

Shop for deals on trees and shrubs but get them in the ground yesterday, without delay

High desert harvest: Potato producers readying for San Luis Valley crop

At an elevation of 7,600 feet, situated along the Rio Grande River and tucked between two mountains outlining the horizon — the San Juans and Sangre de Cristos — the second-largest fresh potato region in the U.S. is nestled in the southern heart of Colorado in an area called the San Luis Valley.

‘We are back on track’: A southern Colorado farm prepares for chile pepper season

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) - As southern Colorado temperatures rise, farmers told 11 News chile pepper roasting is at its prime.

Is corn worth more as silage or grain?

Ongoing dry and drought conditions are supporting hay and forage prices as we look towards this fall.

Ammoniation can boost forage quality

Although it takes a little time and investment, ammoniating low-quality hay, cornstalks, or straw can help improve its protein content and digestibility.

Farm fields don’t just feed us

They store carbon. But a big question is, how much?

Give perennial grasses some credit

In many cases, alfalfa tends to take the cake when it comes to a farmer’s favorite forage. Among its heralded characteristics are a high crude protein content, perennial ground cover to reduce erosion, and the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil.

Some Farmers Are Skipping Tomatoes and Eggplants. Their Reasons May Surprise You.

From climate risks to better work-life balance, a small but growing contingent of farmers is giving up summer crops to reap winter’s harvest.

Bringing Oats Back to American Farms

Adding oats to a farm’s rotation can improve soil health and reduce fossil fuels, but the crop has all but disappeared in the U.S. Now, a nascent movement fueled by oat milk’s popularity may help reverse the trend.

Creating Microclimates With Windbreaks

Windbreaks — whether an evergreen tree, perennial grasses or other — are very useful in creating beneficial microclimates that allow for better crop yield.

SWITCHGRASS AS AN ENERGY CROP HAS UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

A decade ago, switchgrass promised farmers an optional bioenergy crop.

Start to look at the big pasture picture

Forage stands can tell a story about previous pasture management. Although the story may start at the beginning of the growing season, strategic grazing and timely harvests throughout the summer can determine if it will have a happy ending.

New Director of Forage Research Focues on Future-Proofing Alfalfa for Reliable Persistence

In the 20-plus years of Legacy Seeds’ alfalfa breeding program, the focus has always been on high-quality, high-yielding and persistent alfalfa.

Spring oats offer fast forage

Although the days of growing oats for horses have morphed into grandfather tales on most farms, the cereal grain remains a valuable and often-used species in the forage toolbox.

Colorado Author Documented His "Tragicomedy" in Hemp Farming, So You Don't Have to

As a semi-truck driver for a decade, Finn Murphy has seen a lot. Looking for a new experience, the longtime small-businessman and author of The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road thought that he found a gold mine in legal hemp. However, all he got was a "tragicomedy" that was part of "another boom that went bust in Colorado," he says. Well, that and another book.

Transform a poor pasture into a good one

It’s not an unusual situation for people to suddenly find themselves as the not-so-proud owner or long-term renter of a previously abused or neglected pasture. In such situations, questions often arise as to what the best plan of action is to bring an abused pasture back to full productivity.

Altitude adds energy value to alfalfa hay

The list of components in a dairy cow’s ration includes forages, nonfiber carbohydrate feeds (grains and by-products), rumen degradable and by-pass proteins, fat, minerals, vitamins, and other feed additives.

Get more hay from less

Due to drought and the lack of forage growth that comes along with it, hay inventories for the upcoming winter will be below normal expectations in many areas of the Midwest and Southern Great Plains.

Year-Round Farming in Massachusetts? How the State Is Investing in Solutions.

Eastie Farm’s new “zero emissions” greenhouse is tucked down a narrow alley, a block from the expressway, in a gritty East Boston corner. The gleaming structure rises amid gardens landscaped with native plants: milkweed, choke weed, huckleberry, mountain mint, paw paw saplings, and two large mulberry trees.

Changing Tastes Fuel a Buckwheat Revival

Thanks to the growing demand for gluten-free foods and interest in alternative flours, buckwheat is seeing a resurgence.

Scientists Get to the Core of the Honeycrisp Apple

Cornell University researchers have successfully mapped 97 percent of the apple’s genome, a boon for breeders working on future varieties.

Growing American Chestnut Trees

Want to get started growing American Chestnut trees? Learn how to start harvesting chestnuts at home and choose the best species for you.

Apples: One of America’s Most Sustainable Crops

What are the most sustainable crops to grow for food security? Perhaps, in your growing zones, oranges or peaches win for best fruit crop.

Shrimp farming is coming to a city near you

Shrimp are one of the most popular seafood globally, but farmed production of the crustaceans can have a devastating impact on local habitats — and in some cases the climate. A Singapore-based startup now says it has a new planet friendly solution for growing the food without the sea.

Another time for oats to shine

Oats have transitioned from one of the most commonly grown cereal grain crops in the U.S. to our best answer as a 9-1-1 emergency forage.

Gardening on the High Plains

High Plains students grew and harvested an ample crop of pumpkins, squash and gourds.

Barley-pea mix brings soil health benefits to Gloucs farm

A spring barley and pea mix, along with grass leys, is helping David Marsh improve soil health and cut the carbon footprint on his mixed Cotswold farm.

State To Study Level Of PFAS Toxins Reaching Colorado’s Crops

State agencies are assessing new data compiled by Colorado researchers that suggests a family of toxic chemicals could be reaching the state’s vegetables – and potentially consumers – through contaminated irrigation.

Experts say microgreens could make future of farming more affordable, accessible

It’s all hands on deck during harvest time at Infinite Harvest.

On Edge: In a rural Eastern Plains community plagued by drought, stigma won’t be easy to overcome

Week after rainless week throughout the growing season has wounded not just local farmland, but also on the emotional landscape

They Built Their Own Greenhouses. Did They Reap What They Sowed?

When the pandemic forced everyone into isolation and threatened food supplies, some people decided to build their own greenhouses.

Award-Winning Geodesic Dome Greenhouse Kits for Controllable, Sustainable Year Round Gardening

Enjoy your dream garden – all year long – no matter where you live!

STRUCTURES, SUPPLIES, AND MORE!

We Sell the Things That Make Plants Grow

Grass fed: $10M initiative seeks to boost farmers, economy and environment with grazing

For as long as he can remember, Jason Gruenfelder wanted to be a dairy farmer.

The root of the soil organic matter: Part 1

Soil health is a complex concept. In the realm of regenerative agriculture, soil carbon is believed to be one of the most important measures of restoring soil health.

America is hungrier than ever for sustainable food systems. Can we build them?

In the spring of 2020, many small farms across the U.S. found themselves in a bittersweet predicament.

Brooten worm farmer raises herds of soil-builders

With a herd of 1.7 million worms, Mike Larson isn't your typical Minnesota farmer.

The miracle fall forage crop

Who doesn’t like oats?

Soil carbon impacts plant protein content

Both in research trials and on the farm, the response to nitrogen fertilizer application can be quite variable.

Consider annuals to avoid summer shortages

During the dog days of summer, cool-season grasses slack off in productivity, but this period is prime performance time for summer annuals.

Intelligent and idealistic, Winona LaDuke turns to hemp farming, solar power to jump-start the 'next economy'

"I wanted to have goats, too, but the kids sort of drew the line at that," she laughs. "I'd say the jury is still out on goats."

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CROP? TRY CARBON

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCUS AG AND NORI AIMS TO PAY FARMERS $15 FOR EVERY TON FARMERS SEQUESTER OF CARBON FOR THIS YEAR.

US: Novel wheatgrass provides perennial forage, grain

A novel perennial crop aims to provide a more sustainable forage for livestock production along with a grain cash crop while reducing soil erosion and protecting water quality, says researcher.

Devising crop rotation plan makes fun winter diversion

Open any gardening book and it will tell you that crop rotation is a beneficial practice.

Why cover regenerative agriculture?

Regenerative ag is a series of practices that rely less on chemicals and more on natural processes. How practical some of the practices are is the question under discussion.

What Is Sorghum? A Unique Grain Reviewed

While you may have never heard of sorghum before, this grain has been around for centuries.

Couple’s mission to preserve old apple varieties

Old apple varieties on the verge of extinction are becoming relevant again and are gradually being identified, propagated and re-planted around the state.

A Maryland Grain Grower Takes Regenerative Agriculture to the Next Step

Heinz Thomet works in balance with nature to grow highly sought-after specialty crops, while sequestering carbon and building a regional food economy.

Another reason to know hay quality

Meeting winter nutritional requirements for the beef herd can be challenging and requires some thought and planning to be done properly and economically.

Racing Against the Harvest, Custom Wheat Cutters Struggle to Stay Relevant

For nearly 100 years, itinerant workers known as “wheaties” have followed the Great Plains wheat trail, cutting ripening grain from south to north.

Some thoughts on Halloween hay

Many regions have now or will soon reach the point when significant alfalfa regrowth won’t occur if the crop is cut one more time.

‘Self-Feeding’ Corn Grows in Southern Appalachia

Mike Fortune has a plan to save the planet from corporate corn with a strange botanical goo.

Harvest Freeze Challenges

Harvest Considerations for Freeze-Killed Corn and Soybean Fields

Hemp market expands with opening of the first HempWood factory

It’s impossible to not notice a CBD hemp dispensary on every corner these days and as banks, state governments and other agencies sort out the details and logistics of hemp as a crop, a new market for hemp is opening up.

A New Bill Could Help Protect the Sacred Seeds of Indigenous People

Traditional seed varieties cultivated for generations have far fewer protections than modified or hybrid seeds. Six senators have introduced legislation to level the playing field.

EPA on 'forever chemicals': Let them drink polluted water

Standing before a room mostly filled with industry lobbyists last week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a clear message to the hundreds of American communities with drinking water contaminated with the highly toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS: Let them drink polluted water.

Why Colorado’s corn farmers are getting hurt by China’s soybean tariff

Colorado’s not a big soybean state but indirect impact of trade wars has hit agriculture exports, which are down 15% this year

CLASSIC PUEBLO: Agricultural risk-takers inspire Bartolo’s efforts

Lifelong commitment to Southern Colorado growers leads to state recognition

Strategies shared for cover cropping on arid plains

After Lucinda Hardesty Stuenkel lost her husband and brother-in-law in a vehicular accident just before Thanksgiving in 2010, she was forced to make changes to the farm’s infrastructure and management to keep it going.

Bartolo on reducing use of insecticides

Mike Bartolo, recipient of this year’s Innovations in Conservation award from the Palmer Trust, covers such a broad scope of agricultural knowledge that it’s difficult to narrow the field to an area to study with him.

Turn grazing approach into a weed killer

Planned grazing can be very effective in boosting the right grasses in your pastures.

A Maryland Grain Grower Takes Regenerative Agriculture to the Next Step

Establishing Pollinator Habitat at Scattergood Friends School Farm

A Maryland Grain Grower Takes Regenerative Agriculture to the Next Step

Heinz Thomet works in balance with nature to grow highly sought-after specialty crops, while sequestering carbon and building a regional food economy.

So, You Want to Be a Hemp Farmer?

Hemp is often touted as a super-crop with myriad uses. So what does it take to grow it? Here's an overview.

5 of the Most Valuable Crops You Can Grow in the US & How to Grow Them

These easy-to-grow and profitable crops are great for small farms.

This Organic Mill is Helping Transform a Regional Economy

In Ohio, Shagbark Seed & Mill is trying to make local, organic grains the rule rather than the exception.

Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

This past week in San Francisco, food writers and environmentalists gathered to taste some breakfast cereal.

Maine Is Scaling Up its Local Grain Economy

Craft brewing, artisanal baking, and innovative mills and malthouses are reviving the state's economic might.

The Women Reviving Heirloom Grains and Flour

Female grain growers, millers, and artisan bread bakers are collaborating to lift women’s role in bread into the spotlight.

Harvesting in a trade war: U.S. crops rot as storage costs soar

U.S. farmers finishing their harvests are facing a big problem - where to put the mountain of grain they cannot sell to Chinese buyers.

Stony Creek Colors Is Convincing Tobacco Farmers To Grow Indigo, Building A Business On Natural Dyes

Stony Creek Colors is convincing farmers who used to grow tobacco to switch to indigo plants and selling the natural blue dye to fabric producers, including denim giant Cone Mills.

USDA visits Colorado Quinoa, rural grant recipient

Last month, Sallie Clark, the state director of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) visited Colorado Quinoa.

Colorado specialty crop projects funded

Colorado specialty crops have been awarded grants totaling over $768,000 through the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s 2018 Specialty Crops Program...

Micro greens grow into big business for Valley couple

At Twisted Infusions Farms, Heather Szymura and her husband Brian are growing micro greens in a backyard shipping container.

GRAINS-Soybeans, corn fall as focus turns to bumper U.S. crops

Soybeans, corn fall after rally on trade agreement

Farm builds support for locally grown Asian vegetables

Young farming couple learns to adjust to Astoria’s changeable climate

Pasture Cropping

Since the late 1990s, Australian farmer Colin Seis has been successfully planting a cereal crop into perennial pasture on his sheep farm during the dormant period using no-till drilling.

Canadian farm production likely to increase under climate change: FAO

A new United Nations’ report suggests just how climate change will reshape agriculture by 2050.

GRAINS-Soybeans fall to near 10-year low

U.S. soybean futures fell to a near 10-year low on Tuesday....