Learn about the growing impact of severe floods and droughts on farms and other lands and the role farmers can play in directly mitigating flood and drought damage.

Two livestock farmers highlight their different approaches to 2023’s record-breaking flooding and drought conditions. Resources farmers can access to reduce exposure, take preventive measures, and help downstream neighbors are discussed.

Recorded: March 29, 2024

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How can farms help mitigate floods and protect communities downstream? (Hint: it starts in our soil!)

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Whether you grow food, sell it, cook it, or just eat it—we all have a stake in gaining a deeper understanding of the links between soil health, plant health, and human health.

The concept of nutrient-dense food has been growing in popularity for decades, but how do we actually define and quantify it? During this webinar, we explore the science behind on crop nutrient density, including how it can be measured, what new research is uncovering, and what we still need to learn. We examine how factors like growing climate, management practices, and variety have the potential to broadly impact nutrient density.

The Bionutrient Food Association founder and life-long farmer Dan Kittredge and co-founder of OurSci Dan TerAvest have been studying samples from farms across the country to help us better understand connections between the way food is grown and its nutrient content. Pasa partners with The Bionutrient Institute and OurSci to measure the nutrient content of crops grown by several farmers participating in our Soil Health Benchmark Study. Farmer Steve Groff of Cedar Meadow Farm shares insights he’s gained from participating in this study.

Recorded July 27, 2022

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Learn about the latest data from Pasa’s Soil Health Benchmark Study, get research updates from Rodale Institute, discover new soil health and decision management tools for your farm, and find out about funding opportunities to support soil health practices on your farm. Find a PDF version of our slides on Soil Health Funding Opportunities here.

Recorded March 29, 2022

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“Tarping” or covering the soil with plastic silage tarps is becoming a popular weed management strategy for smaller scale vegetable farms. In this webinar you’ll get an overview of tarping systems at two regional farms. Farmers Nina Berryman of Weavers Way Farms and Liz Krug of Fullers Overlook Farm discuss the pros and cons of this production method, share why they decided to try it, and explain how they make it work for their farm. These farms are also both participants in our Soil Health Benchmark Study, so we also touch on key aspects of their soil health data and discuss how tarping may or may not be contributing to each farm’s soil health journey.

Recorded April 21, 2021

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It seems logical that healthier soil could grow healthier food. But how do we measure this and demonstrate it scientifically? Exploring links between the nutrient density of food and the soil it was grown in remains a young field of study—we often have more questions than answers.

The Bionutrient Institute is a collaborative project that seeks to shed light on this topic. In 2018 they began analyzing crops and soil samples from a wide range of farms across the country to help us understand connections between soil health and food nutrition. Pasa partnered with Bionutrient Institute in 2020 to measure the nutrient content of crops grown by farmers participating in our Soil Health Benchmark Study. These analyses can help us understand whether different approaches to field management can produce healthier food.

Helping farmers explore links between soil health and nutrition could additionally offer a valuable marketing tool and a new opportunity to educate customers about the benefits of sustainable practices. Join us to learn more about this national project and what it’s uncovered so far.

Recorded July 21, 2021.

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Urban soils can pose unique challenges for growers. Overcoming these challenges to get healthy, high-yield crops takes more than just applying fertilizer. Ideal timing, amount, and type of application can vary from plant to plant. And in order to provide optimal nutritional for your crops, first you have to understand the soil you’re working with.

Learn how to identify your soil’s quality and health issues and address them so you can grow healthy crops this year! We also discuss the opportunities when working with urban soils and how to make the most of your site.

Soil topics covered:

• physical degradation
• nutrient content
• fertilizers and amendments
• different soil tests

This session was part of a year-long series of workshops called “Growing to the Next Level,” held in partnership with Grow Pittsburgh.

Recorded April 13, 2021.

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Building and preserving soil health is a fundamental component of a secure food system that effectively protects ecosystems and communities. Our Soil Health Benchmark Study is designed to help farmers monitor and evaluate the nuanced soil health strengths and challenges that can exist simultaneously within their fields.

The study was developed and is administered by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture in collaboration with more than 100 vegetable, pastured livestock, and row crop farmers and partners including the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory, Future Harvest and the Million Acre Challenge, Penn State Extension, Rodale Institute, and Stroud Water Research Center.

The study, which began in 2016, is one of the largest and most diverse community soil health research projects in the nation, amassing data from a wide range of farm scales and management systems, soil types, and farmer experiences.

Download our Soil Health Benchmarks 2021 Report below for a detailed review of our study and findings to date. You can also read a summary of our findings here on our blog.

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These data indicate that grass-based dairy farms can provide environmental benefits to a local watershed, but due to a lower efficiency in milk production, they may increase the aggregate environmental impacts of regional and global supply chains.

Download the article for a full explanation of our methods and findings. 

This study was conducted in collaboration with USDA / Agricultural Research Service and findings were published in Agricultural Systems in September 2020. 

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Through our Soil Health Benchmark Study, we’re discovering common soil health problems farmers are facing. These soil health issues are happening for a variety of reasons that might include effects from severe weather, unintended consequences from production methods, or simply not having a practical way to implement effective soil-building strategies.

During this webinar, we’ll review several common soil health challenges and explore how farmers are working to fix them. We’ll also explain how you can contribute to the Soil Health Benchmark Study as a community scientist and connect with a peer-community of farmers advancing the art and science of sustainable farming.

Our landmark Soil Health Benchmark Study is the most diverse farmer-led soil science project in the nation.

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You understand the fundamentals of building healthy soils, but you’re struggling to put everything you know into practice as you try to balance the long list of demands that come along with running a farm business.

During this webinar, we’ll explain how you can participate in our Soil Health Benchmark Study, a citizen-science project that will help you not only implement more sustainable soil management techniques, but also maximize yields and profits. We’ll additionally share highlights from our findings so far that demonstrate common soil health problems farmers are encountering, and how they’re working to fix them.

Farmers who join our Soil Health Benchmark Study receive:

• three subsidized comprehensive soil tests from the Cornell Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (up to $330 value);
• a personalized soil health benchmark report;
• marketing resources to help you communicate your attention to soil health to your customers
• opportunities to connect to a learning community of your peers

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They say “What gets measured, gets managed.” Given that there is a lot to manage on a working farm, effective record-keeping tools are essential to the success of any farm business.

During this webinar, we introduce FarmOS: A free, flexible, and powerful web-based tool for managing farm records for everything from crop planning, to pest management, to livestock inventories.

Among other capabilities, FarmOS lets you map your crop fields, view soil maps, and use modules to track when to plant, cultivate your fields, and apply soil amendments. You can also use FarmOS to contribute to Pasa’s Soil Health Benchmark Study and our other farm-based research projects.

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The post Too Much of a Good Thing: Compost Brings Phosphorus Challenges to Red Earth Farm appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• How you can participate in our 2018 Soil Health Benchmark Study
• What farm management activities study participants will be tracking
• How to submit soil samples to the Cornell Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health

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