Peach Trees: Seeing Doubles?
“Twinning” or “doubles” in peaches refers to the phenomenon where a single peach flower bud develops into two closely connected fruits. This occurrence is often related to the conditions experienced by the tree during the bud initiation phase of the previous year. I have been thinning my peach trees and I am seeing a large…
The Future of Organic Viticulture: Embracing Fungus Resistant Grape Varieties in Texas
The global wine industry is witnessing a pivotal shift towards organic practices, a trend strongly reflected in the Lone Star State. Although Texas’s organic grape production is currently led by only 3 farmers cultivating over 200 acres, this growing segment is set to change the Texas wine landscape. This rise in organic viticulture, coupled with…
Selecting a Variety for your Farm?
Creating an adapted and sustainable organic farming system requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses both the selection and maintenance of crop varieties and an understanding of their interaction with the local environment and soil microbiome. This post aims to guide organic growers in developing a resilient agricultural practice by focusing on crop variety adaptation, seed…
Organic Sorghum Resources
Sorghum’s natural characteristics and compatibility with organic farming principles indeed make it an excellent crop for organic cultivation. While some traits like drought tolerance and non-GMO status are shared with conventional sorghum, these characteristics synergize particularly well with the goals and methods of organic agriculture, offering distinct advantages: While many of sorghum’s traits benefit both…
Water-Seeded Rice
Dr. Ronnie Levy, Extension Rice Specialist at LSU wrote this article for the April 2022 issue of Rice Farming Magazine. I clipped it out and thought, “this will come in handy someday!” I am putting this out there again because our organic rice producers are facing some real problems with weeds in rice including weedy…
Award-Winning Growth: Texas Organic Entities Will Flourish with USDA Organic Grants
Last year USDA put out the call for grant applications for the Organic Market Development Grant program. This was a chance to apply for up to $3 Million in grant funds with a match or up to $100,000 for equipment with no match. The Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) program supports the development of new…
Non-Antibiotic Management of Mastitis in Dairy Cattle
(This article first appeared in “Texas Dairy Matters” and has since been published in Texas Ag and Dairy Review. I have had an opportunity to work with some of these technologies and these researchers on an organic dairy investigating the potential to improve both mastitis control and long-term animal health. Bob Whitney) Non-Antibiotic Management of…
Soil testing, soil results, soil test labs
Soil sampling is an essential practice in agriculture, providing a foundation for informed decision-making regarding soil management and crop production. The process involves collecting soil samples from multiple locations within a field to analyze for nutrient content, pH levels, organic matter, and other soil properties. This analysis offers a snapshot of the soil’s health and…
Organic fertilizer – what is it, what are the rules, where do you buy it?
I get lots of general questions about what to use for fertilizer in organic agriculture. It is generally accepted that compost is good for organic, but does it have to be certified organic compost? What about manure? Can you buy some of these processed fertilizer products? What are the rules for fertilizers? The first place…
Join Us in Enhancing Organic Cotton Production
We need your help! As a part of a large organic cotton grant, Texas A&M Researchers and Extension specialists will be studying many aspects of organic cotton production to both meet growing demand while making organic cotton more sustainable and resilient. We will be starting with the soil, your soil, if you will be willing…
Best Cover Crops for Weed Control and Fertility
Cover crops play a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil health, managing pests and diseases, and improving overall crop yield resilience. Sorghum Sudangrass In the summer we plant sorghum sudangrass (top picture) for weed control because it has an allelopathic effect on weeds (click that link to read about it) and it shades…
Scale Insects and Mealybugs – Winter/Spring is the time to look and treat!
Scales are sucking insects that insert their tiny, straw-like mouthparts into bark, fruit, or leaves, mostly on trees and shrubs and other perennial plants. Some scales can seriously damage their host, while other species do no apparent damage to plants even when scales are very abundant. The presence of scales can be easily overlooked, in…
Data confirms peanut inoculant and in-furrow biofungicide are tank-mix compatible
A big thanks to Dr. Holly Davis for writing and sharing the article below. This issue has been mentioned many times and this research helps us use these two biological products in organic peanut farming without worry! Bob Whitney There have been some concerns about an at-plant, tank mix application of certain biofungicides and Rhizobia…
USDA seeks applications for value-added grant program to help farmers and ranchers seek new markets
The USDA is now accepting applications for grants to help agricultural producers maximize the value of their products and venture into new and better markets. The USDA is making the grants available under the Value-Added Producer Grants program. (Click that link to go to the USDA webpage about the grant) The grants help farmers and ranchers…
Purple Tomatoes – They are not all the same!
This is a picture of the “Purple Tomato” developed and sold by Norfolk Healthy Produce. According to the press release from the John Innes Centre it is a high-anthocyanin purple tomato developed nearly 2 decades ago. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the article below. Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, said: “We…
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