Browse by Topic: Adaptation Practices

This page collects research around reduced tillage topics for vegetables, including living mulch under organic acorn squash and Brussel sprouts, tarps to terminate cover crops, sorghum sudan grass residue as mulch for tomatoes, and more....

A case study of Clovercrest Farm, a small-scale dairy farm in Charleston, Maine. Includes the impacts of climate change on the farm and their adaptation strategies. The farm milks 95 Jersey cattle on 250 acres, of which 125 acres are pasture and 125 acres are wooded. The farm rents 350 acres of cropland in the surrounding area to grow winter forage. Clovercrest Farm is pasture-based and has been certified USDA organic since 1998.

Over 80 illustrated design guidelines for conservation buffers are synthesized and developed from a review of over 1,400 research publications. Each guideline describes a specific way that a vegetative buffer can be applied to protect soil, improve air and water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, produce economic products, provide recreation opportunities, or beautify the landscape. These science-based guidelines are presented as easy-to-understand rules-of-thumb for facilitating the planning and designing of conservation buffers in rural and urban landscapes. The online version of the guide includes the reference publication list as well as other buffer design resources

Farm managers speak about their diversified vegetable operation in Northford, Connecticut, and the changes that Cecarelli Farms has gone through to become both a more sustainable and efficient operation.

Excellent charts on cover crop types divided by cool or warm season, and grass, legume, or broadleaf. Also has a chart on crop sequence effects, as well as one-page fact sheets on characteristics and growing conditions of 65 different cover crops.

Tools to explore cover crops in the Northeast, select species, calculate nitrogen credits, and more. Cover crop selector tool gives recommendations based on your specific site and soil conditions. Website also includes further cover crop resources.

This calculator aids farmers with decision support regarding cover crop residue persistence, as well as the amount and timing of nitrogen availability.

Heavy rains are becoming more frequent across the Northeastern United States and increasing soil erosion and nutrient runoff problems. Wetter weather in the spring and fall is reducing the number of days that fields can be worked. Consider planting cover crops to help adapt to these climate trends.

The purpose of this book is to help growers and farm advisors understand the management of crop rotations; avoid crop rotation problems; and use crop rotation to build better soil, control pests, and develop profitable farms that support satisfied families.

Also known as ‘transferred mulch,’ “cut and carry” refers to the practice of growing, harvesting and moving loads of mulch from one part of the farm (or a neighboring farm) to another, usually as loose greenchop or ensiled material. This practice has been used to reduce tillage in organic vegetable production systems by using thick mulch to suppress weeds. Cut and carry can also be used as a fertility strategy, through the harvest, application, and incorporation of legumes onto cropped acres.

A short visual guide to manure management and other livestock production environmental issues, including nutrient management and application, managing public perception, best management practices in production areas, and infrastructure and facility practices.

This tour explores the silvopasture systems and adaptive management practices at Dickinson College Farm.

Biochar basics: what it is, how it is produced, how it is applied, benefits for farms and the climate, and federal funding sources.

A concise article on the benefits of spreading your risk over more than one enterprise.

The goals of this publication are to present the principles behind drip irrigation and some practical guidelines for successful and profitable use of drip irrigation.

Rainfall intensity is increasing in the Northeastern U.S. Stabilizing gullies is one strategy for adapting to this changing climate. This case study evaluates the costs and benefits of restoring gullies at Last Resort Farm.

Participate to understand current research, available technologies, future possibilities, and the benefits and costs of small-scale manure digesters. Learn about REAP program eligibility, application deadlines, program grant and loan opportunities and how existing digesters used REAP as part of their funding package.

Participants will learn how energy-oriented design and operation can impact the resilience (the capacity to recover quickly from challenges) and long term success of farm operations, as well as identify common energy strategies for farm viability and resilience.

Farmers today face rising energy costs and uncertainty about future energy policies that affect agriculture. Many farmers are responding by improving the energy efficiency of their operations and exploring alternatives to traditional fossil fuels such as wind, solar, and biofuel crops. Improving nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency is another important strategy. Fertilizer cost is important because it is tightly linked to energy prices, and excessive applications increase the release of nitrous oxide (N2O), a very potent greenhouse gas (GHG). This fact sheet addresses efficient fertilizer management, infrastructure changes, and best management practices for farmers that make economic sense and also address concerns about GHG emissions and climate change.

Farmer-Led Innovations for Reduced Tillage (FLI) cultivates co-learning and innovation among organic vegetable farmers in New England. This site features the trials of a small cohort of innovative farmers trialing reduced tillage practices.

Andy Jones, Manager, Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vermont talks about farming successfully on the floodplain in the face of climate change. Andy talks about his strategies including managing water, protecting soils, and using high tunnels; the specifics about his seeding rates and timing for cover crops and see the equipment he uses; how he manages extended wet periods and dry periods with different irrigation methods and crop rotations.

Climate change is already posing new challenges, such as increased risk of flooding, summer heat stress, and more intense pest and weed pressures. This fact sheet details challenges and adaptation solutions on farms to the major effects of climate change.

This two-page research summary addresses the trade-offs rural communities face when increased flooding damages public and private land, and makes farming more risky. The authors also provide a link for teaching resources on this topic.

This fact sheet presents an overview of the most common components and options in drip irrigation systems, accompanied by estimated costs.