Healthy Soil is Teeming with Microscopic Life

Healthy Soil is Teeming with Microscopic Life

Farmers are intrinsically tied to the soil that encompasses their farmland. Where others only see dirt, greenery, and maybe a few worms, farmers – especially those who rely on organic nutrient sources such as compost, green manure, and plant and animal meals to...
Benefits of Nematodes in Healthy Soil Ecosystems

Benefits of Nematodes in Healthy Soil Ecosystems

Nematodes. Those microscopic, worm-like creatures that enter or attach themselves to crop roots, pierce root tissue, suck up root juices, and destroy crop yields. But did you know, plant-parasitic nematodes are only a very small fraction of the nematodes living in...
Grafting Tomatoes for Disease Resistance and Improved Yield

Grafting Tomatoes for Disease Resistance and Improved Yield

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend North Carolina State’s Tomato Field Day, at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, NC.  Every summer crowds flock from all over the Southeast to learn what’s new in the world of...
Utilizing Compost to Boost Crop Productivity

Utilizing Compost to Boost Crop Productivity

International Compost Awareness Week is May 6-12 this year. This educational initiative, promoted by the Composting Council Research and Education Foundation, was started in Canada in 1995, and has continued to grow in popularity as communities, businesses,...