Raising poultry for eggs is common for many small farms and homeowners. Adding egg layers to your farm can be a profitable way to diversify your farm business, or you may just raise eggs for your own use. In either case, egg producers need to know how to safely handle poultry and eggs to minimize the risks of foodborne illness. If you sell eggs, you also need to know the laws and regulations that apply to your operation.
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As the season comes to a close, you may not be thinking much about nitrogen (N) management on your farm.
However, since plants need nitrogen more than other nutrients, and it is the most difficult nutrient to manage, this is an invitation to do just that for next year. Take some time—now or over the winter—to consider how the following three steps may be a pathway to better N management on your farm—potentially saving you money, improving crop quality and yields, and reducing pollution downstream and in the air.
“There’s a lot of new research that can inform how to choose and when to apply organic fertilizers, and there are a few nitrogen management principles to be aware of to minimize losses and ensure the best use of nitrogen on your farm.”
While these steps are laid out in detail below, the summary is that there’s a lot of new research that can inform how to choose and when to apply organic fertilizers, and there are a few N management principles to be aware of to minimize losses and ensure the best use of N on your farm.
by Mark Dempsey, CFSA Farm Services Manager | Monday, Jun. 22, 2020 —
The idea that farmers should manage their land and crops for soil health is not a new one but has been gaining popularity and permeated into mainstream farming over the last decade. There are advocates all across the board: from small-scale, organic vegetable farmers, large-scale conventional grain producers, livestock farmers, to permaculturists, and so on.
While the messaging on how to prioritize soil health is more or less consistent, the details often depend on the farming system, climate, and soil type. Farming organically in the Southeast has its own set of soil management of challenges—owing to the highly weathered clays of the Piedmont, and the droughty, low fertility soils of the Coast Plain—which shifts the way we prioritize management strategies for soil health.
Below are five management priorities for improving soil health, tailored to our Southeastern soils.
by Mark Dempsey, CFSA Farm Services Coordinator
It’s mid-season in the Carolinas, and for growers this typically means spring crops are finished, summer crops are keeping you busy, and you’re starting fall crops. This is a good time to consider whether to plant cover crops in some fields this fall instead of all cash crops.
Hopefully, your winter annual cover crop has survived the frigid air masses that swept through the Carolinas in January. Those covers planted late may look a little edgy at this point. Small grains should be all right, but late-planted legumes such as crimson clover may have suffered. Ideally, we have a warm March/April period when most of the biomass production from winter annual cover crops takes place. Want more biomass? Let the cover grow as long as possible. (more…)
Is your soil pH too high or too low? If you don’t know the answer, I urge you to get a soil test. Only a soil test can indicate whether the pH is accurate, and the right level really depends on the plant you want to grow and the natural pH of your soil. Fruits and vegetables accept a wide range of soil pH levels, and acidifying soil is generally unnecessary and not recommended. However, certain fruits, rhododendrons, and azaleas can be intolerant to alkaline soil conditions. The soil pH must be maintained at 5.5 or less for these to grow successfully.
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