The Dirt on Organic Farming

Organic transition is a three year gamble. Farmers battle weeds, low fertility, and equipment investments while selling crops at conventional prices. Is it even possible to get through transition without losing a bunch of money?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Will Glazik, organic farmerAaron Butler, organic farmerBen Bowell, Oregon Tilth/NRCSRyan Koory, MercarisTell us what you think about the podcast by taking this short survey.Join our emai...

Conventional grain farms raise thousands of acres of crops and ship harvests to the elevator by the semitruck load. Can organic markets handle the harvest from a farm at scale? Agricultural commodity prices fluctuate up and down every few years. How can farmers hope to rely on the organic premium being there when they need it?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Will Glazik, organic farmerAaron Butler, organic farmerBen Bowell, Oregon Tilth/NRCSRy...

Some scientists say that agricultural output must double by 2050 if there is hope to feed the growing planet. Yield in organics historically drags behind conventional crops, requiring more acres to produce the same amount of food. Can organic ever hope to feed the continually growing world population?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Dr. John Reganold, Washington State UniversityDr. Andrew Smith, Rodale InstituteJo Mirenda, Organic Trade Associ...

Scientific advancements like synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering have made it possible for farmers to grow enough food to feed a burgeoning human population. Why does organic farming turn its back on these advancements? Is organic anti-science?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Dr. Martin Bohn, University of Illinois Crop SciencesDr. Jonathan Lundgren, Ecdysis Foundation/Blue Dasher FarmDr. Clair Keene, North Dakota State UniversityBry...

A good field is a clean field. Weeds are thieves that steal your yield and your profit. How is it possible for organic grain farmers to keep a clean field without the use of modern herbicide programs? Isn't organic farming just a weedy mess?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Dr. Adam Davis, University of Illinois Crop SciencesDr. Kathleen Delate, Iowa State UniversityRandy Hughes, organic farmerTell us what you think about the podcast by t...

The Dust Bowl looms large in the minds of many good farmers. Excessive tillage combined with a decade of drought sent many feet of fertile top soil into the air, gone forever. Today's organic grain farms use tillage to control weeds and prepare the field for planting. Will organics create another Dust Bowl? Are organic farmers putting the soil at risk?Separate the wheat from the chaff and myth from reality with this episode's guests:Dr. Jessica Shade, The Organic CenterDr. Joel Gruver, Wester...