A project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production By Steve Diver Introduction with a few mouse clicks many of these items now NCAT instantly appear on your computer screen. Bet- Specialist armers making a transition to sustainable ter yet, most of these articles and bulletins are Published 2001 or need information on a free. In addition, some items—including many Updated May 2012 wide variety of topics such as soil manage- Extension Service fact sheets—are available only By Tammy Hinman, Fment and non-chemical weed and pest manage- in electronic form. Thus, some portions of this Andy Pressman, and ment. This guide provides a summary of some Hannah Sharp, NCAT resource list are more heavily oriented to Web of the best in-print and online sources around. Agriculture Specialists resources than others. ©NCAT Here it should be noted that farmers raising herbs If you have received this resource list but you IP188 or field-grown cut flowers face nearly identical don’t have a computer at home, please see your production requirements. Thus, when we talk Contents about cover or or soil man- local public library for assistance. Introduction...... 1 agement for vegetables, the same approach will The Farmer’s work for field-grown cut flowers and herbs. How to Read Web Documents Bookshelf...... 2 .HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) means Organic Farming Primer...... 5 Who Should Use This Guide that you can click and read online. The links Farmers and others who work in commercial agri- to other publications are easy to access General Vegetable and go directly to the reference at hand. Marketing, Industry, and culture—e.g., Extension specialists, NRCS, Statistics Information...... 7 advisors, teachers, and researchers. The focus is .PDF (Portable Document Format) requires Selected Vegetable heavily oriented to practical approaches to organic Production Materials...... 8 Adobe Acrobat Reader to download and is and sustainable farming. Economics of Vegetable the format that is most easy to print in. You Production...... 11 can still usually access links in this format, but Magazines and How to Use This Guide it often requires pressing different keys. Newsletters ...... 12 Printed books and bulletins are listed first; these Databases and Directory are followed by a selection of online resources. In Links...... 13 some instances, a Web version corresponds with What is Sustainable Vegetable Publishers and Book Distributors...... 13 the book and these have been noted. Production Publishers and distributors that sell the books For the purpose of an introduction, can be characterized as follows: The National Sustainable reviewed here are listed in a special section at the Agriculture Information Service, end of this resource guide. For details on sales ATTRA (www.attra.ncat.org), • Sustainable agriculture is a goal rather was developed and is managed price, shipping expenses, and ordering informa- than a specific set of farming practices. by the National Center for tion, contact the publishers. Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Progress or movement toward the goal The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with may be viewed as a continuum. the United States Department About the Use of Web Resources of Agriculture’s Rural Business- • A sustainable farming system strives to Cooperative Service. Visit the The Internet has revolutionized the way informa- NCAT website (www.ncat.org/ be productive and profitable, while at sarc_current.php) for tion is distributed and obtained. more information on the same time preserving environmen- our other sustainable agriculture and Whereas it used to take several weeks or months tal quality and making efficient use of energy projects. to wait for a publication to arrive in the mail, nonrenewable resources. • Sustainable agriculture is concerned etable production available. Chapters address about the well-being of rural commu- concepts and terminology associated with sus- nities and the quality of life for families tainable and organic production philosophies, and farm workers. business planning, production practices, busi- • Though biological practices and prod- ness planning, and marketing. ucts are favored over chemical inputs, Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Produc- and fertilizers may be used tion in the South. 1996. By Mary Peet. Focus within an Integrated Pest Management Publishing, R. Pullins Co., Newburyport, MA. framework. An overview on production practices specifi- For more information on sustainable agriculture cally focused on the South. The book also has production practices, see the ATTRA publica- crop profiles on individual vegetable crops. The tion Applying the Principles of Sustainable Farm- crop profiles provide a nice summary of stan- ing: Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture at dard production practices. https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/sum The New Organic Grower: A Master’s Man- mary.php?pub=295. ual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 2nd Edition. 1995. The Farmer’s Bookshelf By . Chelsea Green Pub- Related ATTRA lishing Co., White River Junction, VT. Publications A complete how-to-get-started manual on small- www.attra.ncat.org scale market . It provides information Companion about the use of walking tractors, wheel hoes, Planting: Basic multi-row dibble sticks, soil block transplants, Concepts & Resources and other tools and techniques that help make Community market gardening more sustainable and effi- Supported Agriculture cient. Eliot Coleman now has an excellent series of season-extension books for farmers, as well. “Tips for Selling” Series How to Grow More Vegetables, 8th Edition. 2012. Manures for Organic Crop Production By John Jeavons. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. This is the classic text on the biointensive method Organic Allium Photo: NCAT of production, which emphasizes double dig- Production ging, intensive spacing, , Here is a selection of some of the best bookshelf organic soil preparation, and high yields in Organic Asparagus resources for the farmer who is just starting out in Production minimal space. This book is filled with useful sustainable or organic production. For-sale books information and charts, which are now fully Organic Certification are available from the sources listed in the Pub- updated and revised. Organic Marketing lishers & Distributors section. Out-of-print litera- Resources ture and reference titles (mainly in the historical The Ecology Action Institute, founded by the section) are available through interlibrary loan. author, publishes numerous books, DVDs, and Sweet Corn: Organic You can occasionally find these books at used research results on topics relating to biointen- Production bookstores and online retailers, however. sive production methods, organic fertilizers, Sweetpotato: Organic cover crops, composts, small-scale production Production Books on Sustainable Vegetable data, etc. For a list of Ecology Action titles, Organic Tomato Production, Market Gardening, descriptions, and ordering information, see Production www.growbiointensive.org/. and Commercial Vegetable Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur’s Production Guide to Selling What You Grow. 1993. By Andrew Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start- W. Lee. Good Earth Publications, Columbus, NC. Up to Market. 1999. By Vernon P. Grubinger. This book provides information on how to grow NRAES-104. PALS Publishing, Ithaca, NY. and sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs and This is without a doubt the most comprehen- small livestock from a backyard market . sive and modern overview on sustainable veg- The book also has a nice section on farm equip-

Page 2 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production ment with black-and-white photos. Most of the Specialty, Ethnic, and Minor book is geared to the marketing and business Vegetable Crops side of market gardening. Specialty vegetables include baby vegetables, heir- The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower’s Guide looms, colored varieties, and ethnic vegetables. to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers. Revised and Some farmers raise these crops for sale at farmers expanded 2008. By Lynn Byczynski. Chelsea markets, ethnic grocery stores, and restaurants. Green Publishing Co., White River Junction, VT. This book is an important contribution to the World Vegetables: Principles, Produc- organic market gardening literature because tion and Nutritive Values, 2nd Edition. field-grown flowers are a common part of a crop 1997. By Vincent E. Rubatzky and Mas mix for local sales. The most recent full-color Yamaguchi. International Thompson Sci- edition has been greatly revised and expanded ence (Chapman & Hall), New York, NY. to meet the needs of the more experienced This is a textbook on vegetables produced around the world, with comprehensive cover- grower. New topics include season extension, age of specialty and minor vegetable crops. This growing in hoophouses, and growing in heated book is very expensive and should be looked at . Resources have been completely through an interlibrary loan before purchasing. updated and expanded. Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook, 2nd Related ATTRA Producing Vegetable Crops, 5th Edition. 2001. Edition. 1998. Small Farm Center. Uni- Publications By John M. Swiader, George W. Ware, and J.P. versity of California, Publication 3346. www.attra.ncat.org McCollum. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. This is a beautiful publication from University of This is one of the standard textbooks on com- Organic Crop California that provides brief fact sheets for about Production Overview mercial vegetable production. This book serves 63 minor vegetables. Each crop is summarized as a good reference for any commercial vegetable Plug and Transplant with a color photo, market information, cultural grower, whether organic or conventional. The Production for Organic information, seed sources, and a bibliography. new edition features new material and increased Systems emphasis on growth and development. New Crops. Proceedings of National Sympo- Potting Mixes for sia, Vols I-VI. Center for New Crops & Plant Certified Organic The Knotts Vegetable Growing Handbook, 5th Products, Purdue University. http://www. Production Edition. 2006. By Donald Maynard and George hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu07/v6-toc.html Season Extension Hockmuth. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. The New Crops symposia are held semi-annu- A comprehensive manual on vegetable produc- Techniques for Market ally and the proceedings are published. They Gardeners tion for commercial growers. The latest edition contain a wealth of information on new, spe- has a flexible cover for bringing into the field, cialty, and ethnic crops. All volumes are avail- Specialty Crops for information on organic production and food able for sale in print. They are also available Cold Climates safety, and Web resources. online in PDF format. The most recent isIssues Specialty Cut Flower The New Farmer’s Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for in New Crops and New Uses: Proceedings from Production and Marketing Producers, Managers and Communities. 2001. By the sixth National Symposium (2007), Creating Vance Corum, Marcie Rosenzweig, and Eric Gib- Markets for Economic Development of New Crops Specialty Lettuce & son. New World Publishing, San Francisco, CA. and New Uses. Greens: Organic Production This publication provides tips from sellers and Vegetables and Fruits: A Guide to Heirloom Vari- managers including choosing what products to eties and Community-Based Stewardship. By Specialty Vegetables grow for farmers markets, and how to market Suzanne DeMuth. USDA-Alternative Farming Directory of Organic those products. It also contains information on Systems Information Center. 1999. www.nal.usda. Seed Suppliers how to use farmers markets to garner commu- gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/heirloom.htm nity support for sustainable agriculture. A wealth of resources from the National Agricul- tural Library containing bibliographical mate- Crop Rotation on Organic Farms. 2009. rial, resource organizations and seed sources, By Charles L. Mohler and Sue Ellen John- and historical documentation. son, Eds. PALS Publishing, Ithaca, NY. This crop-rotation publication includes 13 sam- Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, 2nd Edition. ple crop rotations, tips from expert farmers, 18 2004. By Lee Reich. Timber Press, Incorporated. tables, 25 sidebars, worksheets, and references. This volume explores 23 fruits that are rela- www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 3 tively unknown in commerce, including paw- Tracing the Evoloution of Sustainable/ paw, jujube, hardy kiwi, and Asian pear. Organic Agriculture. May 2007. By Mary Gold and Jane Potter Gates. Bibliographies NewCROP and Literature of Agriculture (BLA) No. 72. www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD. The NewCROP website is sponsored by the Center for New Crops & Plant Products A good collection of fundamental literature on at Purdue University. It provides extensive the history of organic/sustainable agriculture. access to new and specialty crop profiles. Organic Farming. 1990. By Nicolas Lamp- kin. Farming Press, Ipswich, United Kingdom. Historical Literature on Organic Nicolas Lampkin is on the faculty at the Welsh Agriculture Institute of Rural Studies associated with The University of Wales. Organic Farming is the Organic agriculture has a rich history of farmers, most prominent effort by a university professor researchers, and philosophers writing about sus- to address organic agriculture. In addition, the tainable agriculture practices. As an introduction, European ecological and organic farming litera- four classic titles that provide historical perspec- ture—which Lampkin heavily draws upon—is tive are listed below. a rich source of information. onsiderable An Agricultural Testament. 1943. By Sir Albert Organic Manifesto: How Organic Food Can Heal time and Howard. Oxford University Press, New York Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe. energy have and London. www.journeytoforever.org/farm_ Maria Rodale. 2011. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA. Cgone into cover crop library/howardAT/ATtoc.html A nonacademic argument for the overall wis- research, on-farm The Living Soil. 1949. By Lady Eve Balfour. Faber dom—economical and ecological—for farm- trials, and informa- and Faber, LTD., London, England. ing organically. tion dissemination. Soils and Men: Yearbook of Agriculture. 1938. Organic Farming: Everything You Need to USDA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- Know. 2007. By Peter V. Fossel. Voyageur ington, DC. Press, Minneapolis, MN. An overview of organic production practices Pay Dirt: Farming and Gardening with Com- and resources. posts. 1945. By J.I. Rodale. Devin-Adair Co., New York, NY. The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food. 2004. Tanya L.K. Denckla. Storey Pub- Modern Literature on Organic lishing, North Adams, MA. Farming There are numerous sources of information on Literature on Sustainable and farming organically. ATTRA has several resources Alternative Farming Systems on individual crops. When sustainable agricul- Ecological farming systems—Organic Farming, ture became a priority topic for the USDA, land- Biodynamic Farming, Permaculture, Eco-Farm- grant universities, and non-profit institutions in ing, Nature Farming—evolved as an alternative the 1980s, cover crops were one of the first items to chemically intensive agriculture. Each offers its to receive significant attention. Considerable time own brand of philosophy and practical farming and energy have gone into cover crop research, methodologies. Here are some noteworthy titles. on-farm trials, and information dissemination. See the publishers’ catalogs and website listings Some of the key players that helped generate this at the end of this guide for a comprehensive look new material on cover crops include the Sustain- at what’s available. able Agriculture Network (SAN), the University Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms. of California, and the Rodale Institute. 2007 (updated). Mary Gold, AFSIC, National The following resources describe the history and Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD. www.nal. production values of organic farming. usda.gov/afsic/pubs/terms/srb9902.shtml

Page 4 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History Natural Farming of Four Meals. Michael Pollan. 2007. Penguin One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Nat- Books, New York, NY. ural Farming. 1978. By Masanobu Fukuoka. The Biological Farmer. 2000. By Gary Zim- Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA. mer. Acres U.S.A., Austin, TX. The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and By working with nature, biological farmers reduce costs and increase profits while improv- Practice of Green Philosophy. 1987. By Masanobu ing soil and livestock health. This book teaches Fukuoka. Japan Publications, Kodansha Interna- growers how to maintain a healthy soil and tional-USA through Harper & Row, New York, covers how to get started as a biological farmer, NY. soil basics, soil testing, and fertilizers. The Road Back to Nature: Regaining the Paradise Lost. 1987. By Masanobu Fukuoka. Japan Pub- Eco-Farming lications, Kodansha International-USA through Eco-Farm: An Acres U.S.A. Primer. 1991. By Harper & Row, New York, NY. Charles Walters and C.J. Fenzau. Acres USA, Kansas City, MO. Nature Farming Micro Eco-Farming. 2005. By Barbara Berst. Beneficial and Effective Microorganisms for New World Publishing, San Francisco, CA. a Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. 1994. Dr. Teruo Higa and Dr. James F. Parr. Permaculture www.agriton.nl/higa.html Introduction to Permaculture, 2nd Edition. 1994. Nature Farming and Microbial Applications. By Bill Mollison with Reny Mia Slay. Tagari Pub- 2000. Xu, Hui-lian, James F. Parr, and Hiro- lications, Tyalgum Australia. shi Umemura (eds.) Food Products Press, The Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY. Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability. 2002. By David Holmgren. Hol- mgren Design Services. Organic Farming Primer The Basics of Permaculture Design. 2003. By What Is Organic Vegetable Ross Mars. Permanent Publications, East Mean, Hampshire, UK. Production? In a nutshell, organic farming is based on the fol- Biodynamic Farming lowing approaches and production inputs: Biodynamic Farming Practice. 1992. By Fritz • Strict avoidance of synthetic fertilizers Sattler and Eckard von Wistinghausen. Bio- and synthetic pesticides Dynamic Agricultural Association, Stourbridge, • Crop rotations, crop residues, mulches West Midlands, England. • Animal manures and composts Pfeiffer’s Introduction to Biodynamics. By Ehren- fried Pfeiffer. 2011. Floris Books, Edinburgh, UK. • Cover crops and green manures • Organic fertilizers and soil amendments A Biodynamic Manual: Practical Instructions for Farmers and Gardeners. Pierre Mason. 2011. • Biostimulants, humates, and seaweeds Floris Books, Edinburgh, UK. • Compost teas and herbal teas A Biodynamic Farm. 2000. By Hugh Lovel. Acres • Marine, animal, and plant by-products U.S.A., Austin, TX. • Biorational, microbial, and botanical Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation. pesticides, and other natural pest con- 1999. By Steve Diver. ATTRA Publication IP137. trol products

www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 5 USDA Accredited Certifying Agents (ACAs) The ATTRA publication Organic Crop http://tinyurl.com/NOPcert Production Overview explains the history, phi- losophy, and practices of organic farming. For an up-to-date list of accredited certifiers, This publication is an excellent factsheet-type check out this USDA-NOP certifier list. primer on organic production, providing prin- ciples, practices, and concepts that put it all Regional Organic Certifiers and together. https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ Certification Resources summaries/summary.php?pub=66 ATTRA has many publications and record California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) keeping templates for becoming certified 831-423-2263 organic. For an overview of the publications [email protected] that ATTRA has to offer see Guide to ATTRA’s www.ccof.org/standards.php Organic Publications, by Holly Michels. CCOF is one of the premier organic certi- https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/ fication organizations in the United States. summary.php?pub=151 CCOF Certification Standards are available on the website above. Organic Certification Organic Crop Improvement Association TTRA has In the 1970s and 1980s, organic certification www.ocia.org/ OCIA was one of the first major certification many emerged as a marketing tool to assure consumers that foods labeled organic were grown to specified programs. It is accredited to certify interna- publications standards of production, including strict avoid- tionally. Aand record keep- ance of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification ing templates for April 2001, the USDA released the Final Rule of 2012. Jim Riddle. the National Organic Program. This federal law becoming certified www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsys stipulates exactly what a grower can and cannot organic. tems/DC8497.html do to produce and market a product as organic. Midwest Organic Services Association Application for certification must be made, paper- 608-637-2526 work completed, fees paid, and annual inspec- Fax: 608-637-7032 tions undergone through a USDA approved [email protected] certifier. To get an organic label, farms must be www.mosaorganic.org/ inspected and approved by an accredited organic MOSA is a non-profit organic certification certification program. Private (such as Oregon agency based in the Midwest. Tilth, California Certified Organic Farmers) and government (such as Texas Department of Agri- Texas Department of Agriculture-Organic Cer- culture, Washington State Department of Agri- tification culture) organic certification programs exist. 512-936-4178 [email protected] To learn more about the details of the organic www.texasagriculture.gov/RegulatoryPro certification process, see the publication Organic grams/Organics.aspx Certification, jointly produced by ATTRA and Texas has a state certification program USDA National Organic Program. https://attra. through the Department of Agriculture. The ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=152 program certifies organic producers, proces- The following list identifies some notable national sors, distributors, and retailers. and regional certifiers. Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Associa- USDA National Organic Program tion, Certification Services, LLC www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop 207-568-4142 This is the official USDA http://mofgacertification.org/ website for the National Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Organic Program (NOP), Association (MOFGA) has been certifying with links to the Final Rule organic farmers since 1972 and is one of the and other organic regula- country’s oldest certification programs. The tions. LLC was formed in 2002 to provide USDA-

Page 6 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production accredited organic certification services to The resources listed below will help you develop farmers and food processors. an organic marketing assessment for your farm. Northeast Organic Farming Association Organic Marketing Resources. 2004. By Holly (NOFA) Born. ATTRA Publication IP124. https:// www.nofa.org/chapters.php attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary. NOFA has many state chapters, many of php?pub=185 which have accredited certification services. Briefing Room: Organic Agriculture The link above will help you find a NOFA USDA Economic Research Service chapter in Northeast and New England www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic/ states. This briefing room covers the scope of ERS Washington State Department of Agriculture work on organic agriculture and provides (WSDA) Organic Food Program economic research, analysis, and informa- 360-902-1805 tion about the production and marketing of [email protected] organic products. http://agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/organic/ Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends The WSDA Organic Food Program inspects From Farms to Consumers. 2009. By Carolyn Dim- livestock and crop producers, processors han- itri and Lydia Oberholtzer. Economic Information dlers, and retailers. Bulletin No. EIB-58. USDA Economic Research Baystate Organic Certifiers-New England Service. www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB58/. 401-835-2210 This study analyzes the most recent data avail- [email protected] able to examine each level of the organic sup- www.baystateorganic.org/ ply chain. This USDA National Organic Program Organic Certification, Farm Planning, Man- accredited certifying agent certifies farm agement, and Marketing. Revised 2006. L. operations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Tourte, et al. University of California Small United States, and processing operations in Farm Center. http://ucanr.org/freepubs/ the Continental United States. docs/7247.pdf An overview of organic certification processes Organic Marketing Information as well as the necessary management and marketing aspects of organic production. Organic Price Report By Rodale Institute. www.rodaleinstitute.org/ Organic-Price-Report This report can be configured to show organic prices only or to compare organic and conventional wholesale prices at the cur- rent market rates. Prices of fruit, vegetables, and grains are listed in six different wholesale terminals across the United States.

Tumbling Shoals Farm farmers market stand. Photo: General Vegetable Tumbling Shoals Farm Marketing, Industry, and The organic market continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years. Organic Statistics Information fruits and vegetables, which represent 12 per- Wholesale Success: A Farmers Guide to Selling, cent of all U.S. fruit and vegetable sales, reached Post Harvest Handling, and Packing Produce. nearly $10.6 billion in 2010 (Organic Trade Asso- 2011. Jim Slama, Editor. www.familyfarmed. ciation, 2011 U.S. Organic Industry Overview). org/wholesale-success/ When evaluating a new enterprise or production This 255-page manual covers some of the model, it is important to consider the market. issues more specific to the produce wholesale industry, such as building relationships, food www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 7 safety, post-harvest handling, packing and grading standards, fulfilling orders, record- keeping and billing. The book also includes harvesting, cooling, storing, and packing information on 103 different fruits and veg- etables. Order online or call 708-763-9920. USDA Terminal Market Report http://tinyurl.com/3znaeuf The USDA Terminal Market Report lists cur- rent wholesale prices online. Grading, Certification, and Verification: Quality Standards By USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/standards USDA quality standards are based on mea- surable attributes that describe the value and utility of the product. This Web resource pro- vides information for quality standards by commodity. USDA-AMS Fruit & Vegetable Market Reports Lettuce planted in succession. Photo: Carolina Farm By USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service. Stewardship Association www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/fv Agricultural Marketing Services helps buyers Selected Vegetable and sellers market their perishable products in the most efficient manner possible through Production Materials on the distribution channels. Web USDA Economics, Statistics, and Market Many state university Extension services have Information System developed annual and semi-annual production http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/ guides for a variety of vegetable crops. Many states homepage.do are now including organic vegetable guides, which This website contains nearly 2,500 reports are listed below. and datasets on agricultural topics, including economics. General Vegetable Production Vegetable Growers News and Vegetable Grow- Resources ers News Buyers’ Guide Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial www.vegetablegrowersnews.com/ Growers. 2012-13. University of Kentucky. A trade journal for vegetable growers for www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id36/id36.htm industry news and information. Published 12 times per year, plus an annual buyers’ guide. A general vegetable production guide, pub- See website for subscription information, or lished by the University of Kentucky. call 616-887-9008. Ohio Vegetable Production Guide. Ohio State The Packer University. http://ohioline.osu.edu/b672/ 866-647-0918 Includes recommendations for disease, [email protected] insect, and weed control. In addition, infor- www.thepacker.com/ mation on soil management, testing, and The Packer is the national weekly business fertility has been expanded. The guide is newspaper of the produce industry. updated semi-annually.

Page 8 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Com- The Organic Vegetable Production Guide. Joe mercial Growers. Purdue University Extension Masabni, Frank Dainello, and Patrick Lillard. Service. www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/ Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A 163-page production guide for Midwest com- AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M Uni- mercial growers. There is a section on organic versity. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ production. Updated annually. publications/guides/organicvegprod/index.html UC-Davis Vegetable Research and Information A good general overview of nutrient and pest Center. http://vric.ucdavis.edu/ management principles. It is not crop-specific. Research-based information on production and California Organic Vegetable Production economics from California—mainly the cen- Manual. 2011. By M. McGiffen. tral valley. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/Items/3509.aspx Commercial Vegetable Production in Wiscon- This manual provides detailed information sin. University of Wisconsin. for growers on how to farm vegetables organi- http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/ cally, addressing the essential topics for grow- A3422.pdf ing organic vegetables successfully. There is a This resource provides the latest recommen- charge for this publication. Place an order by dations for disease, insect, and weed pest phone at 800-994-8849. management, as well as lime and fertilizer recommendations. It is updated annually University of Florida IFAS. Organic Vegeta- and available for a nominal price if by postal ble Production. http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/ mail or for free if you download and print it organic_production/organic_vegetables.html yourself. The Extension service website on organic vegetable production. It offers resources on Crop Knowledge Master: Vegetable Crops. 2006. University of Hawaii. organic pest management, post harvest han- www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/crops/ dling, and biological controls in Florida. vegetabl.htm An Organic Agriculture Internet Resource for This website offers production information North Carolina Farmers. North Carolina State on over 30 crops. University. www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/ 2012 Commercial Vegetable Recommenda- ncorganic/production.html tions. Penn State Extension. http://exten Organic Sweet Corn Production. North Caro- sion.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit/production- lina State University. www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ guides/2011-comercial-vegetable-guide hort/hil/hil-50.html This 300+-page guide provides informa- tion based on multistage research results and A general overview of organic sweet corn pro- extension programs. duction, from organic production basics to pest management. Organic Vegetable Production Organic Agriculture Information Sheets. Guides and Resources Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ ATTRA’s Organic Vegetable Production Series crops/organic/organic.html https://attra.ncat.org/organic.html Information on organic production, market- Web links to ATTRA’s various organic veg- etable production publications. ing and business management Cornell University Organic Fruit and Vegeta- Succession Planting ble Production Guides. http://nysipm.cornell. edu/organic_guide/ Successful farmers and marketers need to plan for These organic production guides outline gen- several successions of crops in order to provide a eral organic production practices with a focus consistent supply. The ATTRA publication Sched- on biological, mechanical, and cultural con- uling Vegetable Plantings for Continuous Harvest trols. Updated semi-annually. is a good resource.

www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 9 Scheduling Vegetable Plantings for Continuous center has also produced pro- Harvest. 2008. By Janet Bachmann. ATTRA duce fact sheets in several different languages, Publication IP323. https://attra.ncat.org/attra- available at http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/ pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=20 producefacts/. Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Mary- land. 2007. University of Maryland Cooperative Season Extension and Hoop Extension. http://growit.umd.edu/ge007_vegeta Houses ble_planting_calendar_for_central_md.pdf Season Extension Techniques for Market Gar- For a Longer Harvest Window, Try Succession deners. 2005. By Janet Bachmann. ATTRA Planting. April 2011. Johnny’s Selected Seeds Publication IP035. https://attra.ncat.org/attra- Advantage Newsletter. www.growingformar pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366 ket.com/articles/Try-Succession-Planting This publication describes various season- You can also access a downloadable planting extension techniques, such as cultural prac- calendar in Excel spreadsheet at this website. tices, high tunnels, and hoophouses, and provides sources for equipment, supplies, and Postharvest Handling and Food further information. Safety GAPs—just what does that mean? GAPs stands for Good Agriculture Practices and it is a self- moderated food safety standard that can be employed on vegetable farms. With more and more national and state regulation in this realm, it is important to consider your food safety stan- dards on your farm. GAPs is a good and fairly simple approach to doing this. The ATTRA pub- lication An Illustrated Guide to Growing Safe Pro- duce on your Farm is a good initial resource on this topic. It also contains many state and regional Two season extension tools in action at Gallatin Val- resources. ley Botanical Farm, Bozeman, Montana. Photo: NCAT An Illustrated Guide to Growing Safe Produce on your Farm. 2010. By Pamela Wolfe and Rex Hoop Houses for Extending Your Growing Season Dufour. ATTRA publication IP382. https:// webinar. 2009. By Andy Pressman and Tammy attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary. Hinman. https://attra.ncat.org/video/ php?pub=350 High Tunnels.org Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Growers www.hightunnels.org Guide. Anu Rangarajan et al. 2000. An online resource on high tunnel produc- www.gaps.cornell.edu/FSBFEng.html tion, design, and construction. This is a practical guide to developing on- Use of Plastic Mulch and Row Covers in Veg- farm food safety practices. etable Production. No date. Oklahoma Coop- Cornell National GAPs Program erative Extension Service. http://pods.dasnr. www.gaps.cornell.edu/ okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Docu This program includes online classes on this ment-1099/F-6034+web.pdf topic, as well as many resources. There is a fee This publication discusses the basics of plas- to attend the class. tic mulches, as well as the benefits, disadvan- tages, varieties, and required soil preparation. Postharvest Technology Research and Informa- tion Center. University of California. http:// Pennsylvania State University Center for Plas- postharvest.ucdavis.edu/ ticulture. http://extension.psu.edu/plasticulture This center aims to reduce postharvest losses This center has information and resources on and improve the quality, safety and market- growing vegetables using plastic in various ways, ability of fresh horticultural products. The such as mulch, hoophouses, and drip irrigation. Page 10 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production Practical Equipment and Organic Crop Budgets, Organic Produc- Harvesting Tips for Vegetable tion Practices, Northeastern United States. 2008. Rutgers University. http://aesop.rutgers. Farmers edu/~farmmgmt/ne-budgets/organic.html Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits. University of It is difficult to find recent cost-return data Wisconsin-Madison. Biological Systems Engi- on organic vegetables. These tables are rea- neering Department. http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ sonably up-to-date. This project has produced many tip sheets about Organic Crop Production Enterprise Budgets. work-efficiency methods that improve health, 2011. Iowa State University Extension. www. safety, and profits for nursery growers, dairy, extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/a1-18. fresh market vegetable, and berry farmers. html Plan Ahead for Vegetable Harvest Efficiency. The estimated costs and returns from these No date. Vern Grubinger. University of Ver- budgets are based on a long-term study con- mont Extension. www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/ ducted at an Iowa State University research factsheets/Harvest%20Efficiency.pdf farm in southwestern Iowa. The data was modified to more accurately reflect average Economics of Organic and Iowa results as indicated by organic farmers who reviewed the budgets. Sustainable Vegetable North Carolina Organic Vegetable Production Production Cost Study. 2003. Edmund A. Estes, Tony Kleese, Farmers often overlook a very important side of and Laura Lauffer. Department of Agricultural farming—business management. Knowing how and Resource Economics. North Carolina State much your cropping systems cost can help you be University. ARE Report No. 31. www.ncsu.edu/ more efficient and profitable. An enterprise budget project/arepublication/AREno31.pdf is an estimate of the costs and returns to produce a product (enterprise). The following resources can Current Cost and Return Studies help provide you with templates and resources to http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/current.php be a better farm business manager. This link provides up-to-date access to pro- duction-cost tables for different vegetable The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook. enterprises, cover crops, and equipment. All 2009. By Richard Wiswall. Chelsea Green Pub- are accessible as PDF downloads. There are lishing Company, White River Junction, VT. some organic crops featured here, mainly Using his three decades of organic farming expe- conventional vegetable and fruit crops. Also rience, Wiswall provides information on how to available are archived versions of cost-return evaluate which crops are most profitable on your studies with many organic vegetable crops. farm. He also provides easy recordkeeping and business-management tips, employee and farm University of Kentucky Crop Budgets. Univer- management considerations, and information sity of Kentucky. www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/ on what to do with your profits. budgets.html Sample budgets for a wide range of crops. Organic Vegetable Crop Budgets & Economic Studies: Cultural Practices and Sample Costs Economics of Organic Vegetable for Organic Vegetable Production on the Cen- tral Coast of California—Background Report. Production: Record Keeping 1996. By Karen Klonsky et al. http://vric.ucda Market Farm Forms: Spreadsheet Templates vis.edu/pdf/Organic/organic_culturalpractic for Planning and Organization Information esandsamplecostsfororgprodcosts.pdf on Diversified Farms. Marcie Rosenzweig. This California report is the best effort to Available from: Back 40 Books date toward estimating costs and returns on 866-596-9982 organic vegetable production. Start here to [email protected] read background information on production www.back40books.com/i/1395/market-farm- practices and economic data. The informa- forms.htm tion is dated but still very applicable to many Market Farm Forms is a 95-page book and organic farmers. diskette containing Excel spreadsheet tem- www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 11 plates that sells for $59. The diskette is avail- Growing for Market able in PC or Macintosh formats. This book 10 issues per year and template include information on all 800-307-8949 recordkeeping aspects of a diversified farm. www.growingformarket.com/ One of the premier magazines for small and Crop Planning & Record Keeping Spreadsheets medium-scale market gardeners. for Diversified Vegetable Farms 413-253-7991 The Vegetable Growers News [email protected] Great American Publishing 616-887-9008 www.brookfieldfarm.org/CropPlanning.cfm [email protected] Includes cropping plans, field plan, planting http://vegetablegrowersnews.com/index.php schedule, seed order, schedule, harvest record, field record, and plate sizes for Vegetable Crops Hotline seeders. $25; available in Microsoft Excel and www.btny.purdue.edu/pubs/vegcrop/ Works. index2009.html A newsletter for commercial vegetable grow- Farm Planning and Record Keeping. Growing ers prepared by the Purdue University Coop- Small Farms erative Extension Service armers often www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/ VegNet News. Ohio State University Extension overlook a farmrecords.html http://vegnet.osu.edu/news/newslist.htm very impor- These Microsoft Excel spreadsheets were Monthly newsletter that discusses timely Ftant side of farm- developed by Joel Gruver, former farm man- information on vegetable production. Orga- ing—business man- ager for the organic demonstration farm at nized online by month but searchable by topic. the Center for Environmental Farming Sys- agement. Knowing tems (CEFS) in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Vegetable Notes. UMass Extension how much your Gruver developed these tools to help plan http://extension.umass.edu/vegetable/ cropping systems for the Community Supported Agriculture publications/vegetable-notes-newsletter During the growing season, each issue con- cost can help you be (CSA) program at CEFS. tains timely, field-based information and pest more efficient and alerts. Weekly in the summer months and profitable. Magazines and Newsletters monthly in spring, fall, and winter. on Vegetable Production and Market Gardening Organic Grower Magazines Acres U.S.A. Commercial Grower Magazines 12 issues per year 512-892-4400 American Vegetable Grower [email protected] 12 issues per year www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm Meister Media Worldwide 800-572-7740 Biodynamics www.meistermedia.com/publications/vegetable. Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Associa- html tion, Inc. 888-516-7797 This magazine provides insight on field, [email protected] greenhouse and organic production, market- www.biodynamics.com/ ing, new varieties, and new products. The Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener The Grower Quarterly Newsletter of the Maine Organic 9 issues per year Farmers and Gardeners Association. 866-512-9515 207-568-4142 www.thegrower.com/ [email protected] A production magazine mainly for conven- www.mofga.org/Publications/ tional vegetable growers. The publishers also MaineOrganicFarmerGardener/tabid/150/ distribute The Packer and Citrus+Vegetable. Default.aspx

Page 12 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production The Natural Farmer to prominent agriculture bibliographical and Quarterly full-text databases, agricultural directories, Northeast Organic Farming Association library catalogs, library resource guides, elec- 978-355-2853 tronic journals, and search engines on the [email protected] Internet. Though last updated in 2003, this www.nofa.org/tnf/index.php resource is still very useful. MOSES Organic Broadcaster Vegetables on the Internet. 2008. North Caro- Quarterly lina Cooperative Extension Service. www.ces. Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/hortinternet/ Service vegetable.html www.mosesorganic.org/broadcastercurrent. Vegetable information is divided into the html#4 following categories: general informa- tion, insects, diseases, intensive gardening, Sustainable Agriculture Newsletter organic, and specific . Quarterly University of Minnesota Extension Sustainable Agriculture news from the Col- Publishers and Book lege of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Distributors Sciences of the University of Minnesota. Acres U.S.A. http://www.misa.umn.edu/NewsandEvents/ 800-355-5313 Newsletters/SustainableAgricultureNewsletter/ [email protected] The Virginia Biological Farmer www.acresusa.com/books/books.asp Quarterly Wide selection of books on organic and sus- Virginia Association for Biological Farming. tainable production. http://vabf.org/news/newsletter Back40Books 866-596-9982 Databases and Directory www.back40books.com/ Links to Sustainable Many sustainable farming and homesteading books. Vegetable Crop Production BioCycle/JG Press, Inc. MAC Link List—Missouri Alternatives Center 610-967-1345 MAC Link List is the Missouri Alternatives [email protected] Center list of hot links to fact sheets and www.biocycle.net/ Extension guide sheets on dozens of topics Publisher of BioCycle magazine and related relating to alternative crop and livestock pro- publications on composting and organic duction, small farming, and sustainable agri- waste management. culture. http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/ index.htm Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Associa- tion Ohio State University PlantFacts 888-516-7797 Last update 2002 www.biodynamics.com/products.html PlantFacts is a keyword-searchable fact sheet Wide selection of titles on biodynamic and database on plant-related topics (cultivation, organic farming. pest control, soils, vegetables) compiled by Ohio State University. http://plantfacts.osu. Chelsea Green Publishing Co. edu/ 800-639-4099 AgWeb: The Ultimate Agriculture Research www.chelseagreen.com/ Directory. 2003. ATTRA. National Center for Offers an array of books, such as The New Appropriate Technology, Butte, MT. https:// Organic Grower and Four-Season Harvest attra.ncat.org/searchAgWeb.html by Eliot Coleman, and The Flower Farmer, The ATTRA Research Directory offers links by Lynn Byczynski, among other authors. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 13 Focus Publishing Rodale Press 800-848-7236 215-967-5171 http://focusbookstore.com/search. www.rodale.com/ aspx?find=vegetable The Rodale Press Bookstore carries an exten- Publisher of Sustainable Practices for Veg- sive collection of gardener-audience books on etable Production in the South, $34.95. organic gardening, soils, pest control, vegetables, and herbs. Plant and Life Science Publishing 607-255-7654 Storey/Garden Way Publishing [email protected] 800-242-7737 Distributor of Sustainable Vegetable Pro- www.storey.com/ duction From Start-Up to Market; On-Farm Books on small farming and organic production. Composting; Crop Rotations on Organic Farms. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education- Outreach The Permaculture Activist 301-374-9696 812-335-0383 [email protected] [email protected] www.sare.org/publications/index.htm www.permacultureactivist.net/booksvid/Book Distributor of Sustainable Agriculture Network snVid.htm books and publications: Managing Cover Crops Books on permaculture, small farming, and Profitably; Steel in the Field; Building Soils for Bet- organic production. ter Crops.

Page 14 ATTRA Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production Notes

www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 15 Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production

By Tammy Hinman, Andy Pressman, and Hannah Sharp NCAT Agriculture Specialists Published 2001 Updated May 2012 © NCAT Cathy Svejkovsky, Editor Kayla Lester, Production

This publication is available on the Web at: www.attra.ncat.org IP188 Slot 104 Version 060512

Page 16 ATTRA