Several environmental groups are celebrating yesterday’s “revocation” of EPA’s approval for the herbicide Enlist Duo, a combination of 2,4-D and glyphosate. However, EPA’s language in responding to litigation indicates EPS’s “vacatur” or setting aside a registration, as more of a pause to reconsider than a permanent cancellation. EPA officials haven’t responded to our phone message as of Nov. 25.

Cover crop benefits to soil biology keep multiplying with new evidence: More species means a widening spectrum of beneficial soil organisms and helpful insects to combat pests and pathogens. However, “terminating” cover crops with glyphosate imposes another exposure to a non-selective herbicide which is a well-established biocide against specific beneficial soil bacteria.  We’ve experimented with various

First,  here’s a link where you can download a new, free, 16-page guide to “Cover cropping for pollinators and beneficial insects.”  It’s from SARE — Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education. Now, some reasons why variety in cover crops helps your entire farm ecology. Adding variety in your cover crop species multiplies habitat for beneficial insects —

About five years ago, a Mr. Dave Murphy phoned us here at Renewable Farming LLC and asked if he could visit with us at a convenient time and location. Dave was organizing a nationwide campaign he called “Food Democracy Now.”   Our family thought that if such a group could have an impact on farmers — our clients — we should

Foliar feeding corn with the Aurora, NE Cooperative’s “Attain” micronutrient alone added an average of 2.7 bu. onto 275-bu. corn in a random-rep trial this season. Including WakeUP Summer in the tank mix as a surfactant and nutrient carrier pushed that yield gain to almost 6 bu. per acre.  The professional research firm reported the average yield increase

We have front yard turkeys (and back yard bucks).   We thought our Thanksgiving turkey would cost a lot less this season when a flock of wild turkeys took up residence on our 40-acre research farm. But they’re so beautiful, and so trusting, that nobody in the family has felt like getting a tag and

Our consultant friend Jim Martindale asked us to check out two products as a 2×2 application with the planter: A magnesium nutrient and a biostimulant (lots of amino acids and nourishment for microbes) called Symbiosis AGx.  Result: a gain slightly over 5 bushels. Here’s the detailed data: The average of 10 treated strips was 55.2