JOURNAL RODALE INSTITUTE
Global Leader in Regenerative Organic Agriculture
Farming for the Future
The Healthiest Food for You
Action to Combat Climate Change Support for New Farmers
and Lucy Menocal completed Rodale Institute Farmer Training in 2023. See page 16 for their story.
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photograph by Jara Hill
Our Campuses
These locations are carrying the mission far and wide through solutionsbased research, consumer education, and farmer training.
Main Campus Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Founders Farm Allentown, Pennsylvania
RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIP CAMPUSES
Ancient Nutrition
R.A.N.C.H Farm Summertown, Tennessee
Harold M. Schantz
Organic Agroforestry Center at Spring Valley Farm Weisenberg Township, Pennsylvania
Rodale Institute Trailside Organic Farm at Cornwall Manor Cornwall, Pennsylvania
St. Luke’s–Rodale Institute Organic Farm Easton, Pennsylvania
REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTERS
California Organic Center at McGrath Family Farm Camarillo, California
European Regenerative Organic Center at Davines Group Village Parma PR, Italy
Midwest Organic Center Marion, Iowa
Pacific Northwest Organic Center at Cascadian Farm Rockport, Washington
Pocono Organic Center at Pocono Organics Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Southeast Organic Center Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Ashley Walsh, founder of the Pocono Organic Center (above); an overview of the European Regenerative Organic Center at Davines Group Village, Parma PR, Italy (below)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cochairs
Maria Rodale
Roberta Lang
Christa Barfield
Christopher Ely
Matthew Grand
Alison Grantham, PhD
Mark Koide
Pedro Landa
Brian Lenhart
Erik Oberholtzer
Esther Park Hallam
Maya Rodale
Loren Speziale
Scott Stoll, MD
Jennifer Taylor, PhD
Bill Wolf
Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Tkach
BLUE ROOT MEDIA
Editorial Director
Scott Meyer
Design Director
Kimberly Brubaker
Photography Director
Rob Cardillo
Copy Editor
Diana Cobb
Production Editor
Nancy Rutman
All text and images (except where noted) by Blue Root Media
© 2024 Rodale Institute
Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conducting independent research to uncover and share regenerative organic farming practices that restore soil health, fight climate change, and fix the food system.
Rodale Institute 611 Siegfriedale Rd. Kutztown, PA 19530 (610) 683-1400
RodaleInstitute.org
VISION
The Way Forward
RODALE INSTITUTE has always been preparing for the future that is now here. For more than 75 years, we have been conducting agricultural research and supporting organic farmers in many ways. We’ve been focused on building a food system that nourishes healthy people and a healthy planet. Today, we all see more clearly than ever that our health is directly linked to the quality of the food we eat. We’re also recognizing the damage that industrial, chemical-dependent agriculture is wreaking on the environment and our well-being.
Regenerative organic farming is the only response to these challenges we face as individuals and as a society. Rodale Institute scientists are finding the connections between healthy, biologically active soil and growing nutrient-dense vegetables (details on page 6). They’re also shining light on how regenerative organic practices can help counteract the destruction caused by the greenhouse gas emissions produced by conventional agricultural methods. (See page 28.) Thanks to support from donors like you, we tirelessly research the most effective methods for farmers to be successful. Your generous funding is vital to our critical work.
A Simple Equation
Our mission has been clear from the start: Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People. To chart our course, we’ve set a goal of adding 1 million acres of farmland to regenerative organic production by 2035. And we’re on our way. In just the last few years, our team of organic consultants have helped more than 1,000 new and existing farmers to implement organic methods and earn their USDA organic certification. On page 10, you’ll meet a couple of farmers in central New Jersey who are transforming their land and building a community of organic producers around them with the support of the Rodale Institute consulting team.
The average age of American farmers is 58 and trending upward, so we’re focused on educating the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs through our Rodale Institute Farmer Training (RIFT) program. These new food producers, many of whom are veterans of military service, are diverse in their ages, backgrounds, experiences, and plans, yet they are energized by the transformative power of regenerative organic farming for themselves, their families, and their communities. On page 16, you’ll meet Rob Younkins, who found a fresh mission after facing combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Reinventing our food system will also remake our health care system. At our third Regenerative Healthcare Conference
“Reinventing our food system will also remake our health care system.”
—Jeff Tkach
in September 2024, doctors and other medical professionals joined farmers to explore the connections between the soil and human and planetary health. Presentations included such topics as prescribing organic food as medicine and the hazards of food grown with toxic chemicals. As you can see on page 20, we’re partnering with a senior-living community to develop a new model for any institution that cares for people.
You’ll learn all about Rodale Institute’s efforts as you turn the pages of this publication. I hope you’ll be inspired by the stories of people who are working to advance our cause every day. By lending your support, you are part of the movement to ensure access to healthy food, a safe environment, and the reinvigoration of the nation’s agricultural economy and farming as a profession. You are helping to build the way forward to a brighter future for all. We are thankful for your commitment to helping us heal the world through the power of regenerative organic agriculture.
Jeff Tkach CEO, Rodale Institute
Field Reports
Rodale Institute scientists and farm managers around the country are studying strategies for more effective and productive regenerative organic agriculture.
COVER CROPS BEAT BLACK PLASTIC
What we’re learning: Organic strawberries grown with a cover crop produced yields comparable to those of strawberries grown in black plastic mulch, according to the preliminary results of a study at the Rodale Institute California Organic Center in Camarillo, California. The researchers found that sorghumSudangrass, a cover crop that reaches 5 to 12 feet tall, worked effectively to prevent the growth of weeds throughout the strawberry growing cycle and contributed essential biomass to the soil.
Why it matters: Many strawberry growers rely on black plastic mulch to suppress weeds, but it offers nothing for the soil’s health and creates waste that’s not biodegradable. Regenerative organic farmers can plant sorghum-Sudangrass to control weeds and nourish the soil food web while still harvesting the same volume of this high-value crop.
WEED-BLOCKING ROTATIONS
What we’re learning: Weed management is a common challenge for organic farmers. The Diverse Systems Trial at the Rodale Institute Midwest Organic Center in Marion, Iowa—near Cedar Rapids— is examining how several four-year rotations involving corn, soybeans, cover crops, small grains, and spring peas can interrupt weed cycles. Cattle grazing is intentionally integrated into the crop rotation on half of the research plots to understand how this may help to recycle minerals (and thereby reduce the need for fertility inputs), reduce tillage, manage weeds, and improve soil health and biodiversity overall.
Why it matters: Conventional operations typically plant a few genetically modified crops (mostly corn and soybeans) designed to withstand treatments of toxic weed-killing herbicides. They also use heavy amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. These practices contaminate water, soil, and air and harm human health.
insect pests found in the Southeast. Initial research findings from the first year of the study have shown that the Texas hybrid has had strong germination rates, high yields, and the ability to withstand the region’s weed pressures.
Why it matters: Purple corn isn’t just colorful. It’s a rich source of anthocyanins, phytonutrients that have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.
CLEAN WATER
FIVE OBJECTIVES
Rodale Institute’s regional resource centers have been established to achieve these goals.
1 Increase the number of farms and acres in organic production in the region.
Regenerative organic farmers protect the soil and its inhabitants, as well as human health, by eschewing the use of herbicides and synthetic fertilizers and avoiding frequent mechanical cultivation and tillage. Identifying a crop rotation that improves soil health and reduces weed pressure and the need for costly fertilizers adds a valuable strategy to help regenerative organic farmers be more successful.
HEALTHIER COLORFUL CORN
What we’re learning: A breeder at Texas A&M University has developed a purple corn variety that is highly nutritious. The Rodale Institute Southeast Organic Center in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, is evaluating the hybrid to determine if it can tolerate the challenges of the high temperatures, drought, weeds, and
What we’re learning: Stormwater runoff from farms causes catastrophic flooding in some areas. Even worse, it carries excess chemical fertilizers into freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams, causing algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle and diminishing the oxygen that aquatic life needs to survive. The Watershed Impact Trial, a partnership between Rodale Institute and Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pennsylvania, is a six-year assessment of the impact of different farming practices on the freshwater supply. It is tracking the quantity and composition of runoff; residues of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides on crops and in the water and soil; the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, including water infiltration; stream water quality; and the presence of harmful microbes in the water.
Why it matters: Cover crops increase soil fertility and reduce the risk of soil erosion and of toxic fertilizers getting into surface water and groundwater. Healthy soils that have maintained their nutrients are more stable and hold more water, decreasing the risk of runoff and improving crop yields during periods of drought.
MICROGREEN MANAGEMENT
What we’re learning: Microgreens are immature vegetable shoots (harvested 7 to 21 days after germination), and they are prized by healthy eaters for their concentrated nutritional content.
2 Establish long-term research trials to determine changes in soil health, yields, economic models, and more in unique climates and soil types.
3 Solve challenges, including pest, disease, and weed management, for organic farmers in their regions.
4 Provide farmer training, extension services, and pathways to market.
5 Develop partnerships with local organizations and research institutions interested in organic production and farmer training.
Organic microgreen growers must optimize temperature and humidity conditions to ensure healthy growth and fend off diseases. Researchers at the Rodale Institute Pocono Organic Center in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, have evaluated strategies to stimulate yields of broccoli microgreens while protecting the plants’ health. They found that inoculating the planting medium with Trichoderma, a widely used biocontrol agent, improved growth of the plants by increasing nutrient absorption and protected them against diseases.
Why it matters: Microgreens are an easy, low-cost, high-value crop for organic producers. Sales of microgreens in the United States are estimated at $1.74 billion in 2024, and profit margins for growers typically exceed 15 percent.
A cover crop of sorghum-Sudangrass (left) suppresses weeds in strawberry plots. The roller-crimper (center) turns cover crops into weed-blocking mulch. A very nutritious purple corn variety (above) is being evaluated by scientists at the Southeast Organic Center.
The Soil Connection
The Vegetable Systems Trial digs into how food production methods affect nutritional content.
THE RAPIDLY DECLINING nutritional value of food over the last 70 to 80 years has been well documented, and the topic still requires long-term, controlled research studies before experts can draw an informed conclusion about the nutrient density of modern crops. This is why Gladis Zinati, PhD, director of Rodale Institute’s Vegetable Systems Trial, and her team are studying how different growing systems and management strategies affect the nutrient density of vegetables they produce. The early results of this long-running study indicate that both humans and soil health benefit from regenerative organic practices.
STUDY GUIDE
Vegetable Systems Trial. Established in 2016 on 3 acres at the Rodale Institute main campus, it is a side-byside comparison of organic and conventional farming practices for vegetable growing. The research generates data about the nutrient levels in the harvested crops while at the same time measuring changes in the soil health. These soil health measurements include carbon levels and indicators of the soil’s ability to trap and hold atmospheric carbon, which is a critical factor in mitigating climate change.
The crops. The trial focuses on five major vegetables: potatoes, snap beans, winter squash, sweet corn, and lettuce. The various edible parts of plants, including tubers, seeds, fruits, and leaves, are represented in these crops.
Fertility resources. In the organic system, two cover crops—hairy vetch with cereal rye—along with compost and other organic amendments furnish the nutrients the vegetables need to grow. Cereal rye is also planted as a cover crop in the conventional system, but it is burned down with the herbicide glyphosate prior to the planting of the vegetable crops, which is the standard practice among commercial growers. The conventional vegetable crops get their nutrients primarily from synthetic sources of nitrogen and potassium applied to the soil.
Weed management. Many farmers rely on mechanical cultivation of the soil, or tilling, to control weeds. Frequent tilling has been shown to impair the soil’s overall health, degrading its abil-
ity to hold on to carbon. In this study, the researchers are comparing the use of cover crops, combined with either intensive- or reduced-tillage practices, to manage weeds in both conventional and organic plots. Conventional growers typically replace tilling with herbicides to eliminate weeds. In the reducedtillage organic rows, terminated cover crops form a dense, natural mulch that blocks weeds and then gradually decomposes into valuable organic matter for the soil.
FIRST LOOK
This study is designed to evaluate the long-term impact of regenerative organic food production methods versus conventional practices; however, it has already yielded a few fascinating findings.
Protein power. The total protein levels in organic sweet corn and potatoes are significantly greater than those in the conventional crops. The protein content in the organic and conventional vegetables parallels that in the soil in both systems,
Zinati says, indicating that increasing healthy nutrients in the soil may result in more nutritious food.
Less sugar. The sugar level in the conventionally grown butternut squash is significantly greater than in the organically grown vegetables. What’s more, the sugar content in the conventional squash continues to rise after harvest, increasing by 50 percent in storage. More sugar adds calories without adding essential nutrients, making these vegetables less nutrient dense and potentially less healthy for people who need to manage their blood sugar levels.
Potent micronutrients. Polyphenols are minute compounds in food that act as antioxidants, disposing of damaging molecules in our bodies. The butternut squash grown organically has tested with greater levels of total phenols than the conventionally grown crop.
Carbon capture. The organic management system has shown a 30 percent
increase in soil carbon compared to the level in the conventional plots. Reducing tillage in the organic system has also proved to increase the carbon level in the top 4 inches of the soil, while intensive tillage has depleted soil carbon.
WHAT’S NEXT
The power of this trial lies in the accumulation of data gathered over a long period of time and with a large sample size. The results will offer insights into trends and document the lasting effects of different farming practices. As the research continues, Zinati says, her team will be “exploring the role of microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses, in enhancing soil health and nutrient density in vegetables.” By dedicating time and resources to this study, Rodale Institute is paving the way for a deeper understanding of how to cultivate the healthiest food, ultimately benefiting all of humanity.
Learn more about the Vegetable Systems Trial at RodaleInstitute.org/vst.
KNOW THIS
“Nutrient density” is a term used by dietitians and other experts to assess food for its concentration of vitamins and minerals relative to the number of calories. The healthiest foods are nutrient dense because they are high in essential nutrients and low in calories. Many people today struggle with “hidden hunger” because they’re consuming enough calories but insufficient amounts of the vital nutrients necessary for good health.
Soil scientist Dr. Gladis Zinati checks on the cover crops that suppress weed growth in organic systems.
Side-by-side comparisons of different growing systems (left) include evaluation of pest-repelling silver plastic mulch. The organic plots are yielding more nutritious butternut squash (right).
Training, will be the program’s lead instructor.
In March 2025, the first KWU students will begin the RIFT (or Rodale Institute Farmer Training) course, which includes classroom and hands-on learning. The curriculum, developed in collaboration with Renée Baran, who is Rodale Institute’s dean of education, and Justin Barclay, global education operations manager, has been accredited so the students will earn credits toward their degrees. Alex Hurla, a
A New Course
A regenerative organic agriculture program is taking root at a university in America’s heartland.
IN THE 130-MILE CORRIDOR between the small cities of Salina and Wichita, Kansas, vast fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat produce tons of the raw materials for the industrial food system. An initiative at Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU) aims to sow a different agricultural future for the region. The university has formed a partnership with Rodale Institute to train regenerative organic farmers who will help to supply healthy, fresh food to their
communities. The Salina-based school launched a Community Resilience Hub (CRH) in 2022 with a mission to “enhance food security and strengthen agricultural livelihoods through education, action, and advocacy,” says Sabrina Rosario, director. “We see an urgent need to research and teach about sustainable agriculture here.”
The effort sprang from a conversation during the COVID pandemic between KWU’s president, Matt Thompson, PhD, and Wes Jackson, PhD, the renowned scientist, author, and founder of the Land Institute, a nonprofit that has been advocating for regenerative organic farming since 1976. “They were talking about the resilience of the food system and the public health crisis,” Rosario says. “In that conversation, the framework for the CRH was established, and it became clear what actions we should take.”
TRAINING DAYS
KWU is a small, private, faith-based institution with a foundation in liberal arts education. “There has never been an agriculture program,” Rosario says. “We are going into it now for the first time with intentionality and a strategy.”
The program’s educational goals are to “train the next generation of sustainable farmers, prepare a workforce supporting farmers and food system security, and increase student opportunities for practical, applied fieldwork.”
An alliance with Rodale Institute brings to Salina its farmer training program (known as RIFT; see page 16), the heartbeat of Rodale Institute’s Education Department. Future plans include a potential regional resource center, where researchers can gather information about growing food organically in Kansas and share that knowledge with area producers.
“The relationship with Rodale Institute adds a layer of credibility to our program.”
—Sheila Kjellberg
2023 RIFT graduate and a native Kansan, will be the lead regenerative organic agriculture instructor. “The relationship with Rodale Institute adds a layer of credibility to our program,” says Sheila Kjellberg, KWU Community Resilience Hub coordinator.
NETWORK CONNECTIONS
The practical part of the training will be hosted at Quail Creek Family Farms, which is transitioning its 450 acres of farmland in Salina to regenerative
organic management. The diverse livestock and crop operation has set aside 10 acres where the RIFT students will work.
JRI Hospitality is a Salina-based business that owns and operates nearly 100 restaurants in 15 states, and it is the proprietor of Quail Creek. “As part of JRI Hospitality’s mission to provide guests with the best food products, the farm has dedicated a significant amount of acreage to regenerative organic farming,” says Lisa Ingermanson, JRI’s research and development coordinator. This ensures “that the food served is sustainably produced and supports the health of the environment. It also allows us to educate our guests about where and how their food is grown.”
Just like the RIFT participants in Pennsylvania, the KWU students will have the opportunity to meet with working farmers and ranchers and learn from their experiences. Rosario and Kjellberg have been getting to know producers around the state. “We want to build a network of farms where students can find work when they complete the program,” Kjellberg says.
The Community Resilience Hub has partnered with farmers and other organizations on a USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant, which will support food production and consumption along the corridor between Salina and Wichita. “We’re in the middle of an agricultural area, and 90 percent of the
44.7 million Acres of farmland
food that people eat comes from other places,” Rosario explains. “We want to build a regional food system that serves our communities directly. We’re also planning a mobile farmers’ market that will go to areas where many people may be food insecure.”
Social equity is a key component of regenerative organic farming, and it comes with a commitment to fair wages for farmers and farmworkers and access to healthy food for all. The KWU program includes a required course on “Agricultural Humanities.” The lessons will focus on “what it means to farm in a place and in a community,” Rosario says. “We want to bring together the work of the mind and the work of the hand.”
Learn more about the Community Resilience Hub at kwu.edu/crh. Check out Rodale Institute’s diverse array of educational programs at RodaleInstitute.org/education
Wes Jackson (right), a longtime advocate for regenerative organic agriculture, inspired Kansas Wesleyan University to launch its farmer training program. Alex Hurla (left), a graduate of Rodale Institute Farmer
A partnership with Quail Creek Family Farms offers students opportunities for hands-on learning.
Seeding theFuture
A NEWLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM IS HELPING TO TRANSFORM AGRICULTURE IN THE GARDEN STATE.
The drive to Cold Brook Farm in Oldwick, New Jersey, will dispel any preconceptions that the most densely populated US state is nothing but highways and strip malls.
Located in Hunterdon County, the farm is nestled among tiny villages, woodlands, and fields full of corn and soybeans.
Jason and Deb DeSalvo, Cold Brook’s proprietors and workforce, launched their 43-acre operation in 2020 with the goal of changing perceptions of what farming can be in their community. The couple are unconventional in many ways—as farmers, with the crops they’re growing, and especially in their commitment to regenerative organic practices.
To get their farm off the ground and certified organic from the start, they relied on the support of the Rodale Institute consulting team.
The DeSalvos today are raising grains, fruits, and vegetables, and they have planted a permaculture forest. They’ve restored the creek that runs through their property, and they’re powering their home and farm entirely on solar and geothermal energy. They’re also connecting with nearby growers to develop the infrastructure to support local grain production.
BREAKING GROUND
Jason DeSalvo, 56 years old, runs a medical diagnostics business and was in a rock band in his youth. Deb DeSalvo, age 59, grew
up around her mother’s extensive garden and has worked as an environmental educator. “We don’t have a family background in farming,” Jason says. “In 1991, we talked about operating a vineyard and went to look at one in the Willamette Valley—before it was all the rage—because we wanted to grow Pinot Noir grapes.” More recently, while looking for a place with a few acres where they could grow food for themselves, they found their current property, which has a history dating back to before the first European settlers arrived in the area. “We fell in love with the land and with the possibilities,” Deb says. “We wanted to bring about change that would have a positive effect on the environment, and we decided that creating a regenerative organic farm was the best way for us to do it.”
Starting in August 2019, the pair worked with an architect to design the house and landscape surrounding it, and by the time the COVID pandemic hit, they were beginning to plant trees and to develop a swale for stormwater management. The property included a 10-acre field that had been leased to a local farmer who had been growing conventional, genetically modified corn, soybeans, and wheat there for many decades. “We talked with him about our plans to be organic and asked him to adapt his practices, but he declined,” Deb says. “He farms about 3,000 acres in this area, mostly on leased land,” Jason adds. “It’s common here for farmers to work land that they lease from the owners of big properties.” The couple decided to try raising wheat in the field themselves.
WE WANTED TO BE CERTIFIED TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION MOVEMENT.”
—Deb DeSalvo
On a hot early-summer day in 2024, they assess their crop of ‘Redeemer’ wheat, discussing when it might be fully mature considering the season’s scorching temperatures and heavy rains followed by an extended dry spell. They open, peer at, and sample the wheat berries and determine that the harvest is still a few weeks away. In their fourth year of working the field, they’re talking about the challenges with weeds—and thistle specifically. They won’t spray toxic chemical herbicides, so they have learned about the life cycle of the thistle plant to figure out how to disrupt its reproduction. “If you mow it down just before it flowers, you can knock it back without too many new plants sprouting up,” Jason says. They will be following the wheat crop with two successive rotations of buckwheat because “we’ve learned that it can suppress the thistle growth,” he adds. They’ve begun to see other changes on this field. Just after dusk, “thousands of fireflies emerge, and it’s just magical to watch their dance,” Deb says. “That wasn’t happening before we converted this field to organic.”
MAKING IT OFFICIAL
The DeSalvos had always planned to certify their organic farm. “We sleep at night knowing we’re doing good things here,” Deb says. “We wanted to be certified to support the organic certification movement.” They found the process more rigorous than they had expected. “It seems backwards to me that if I don’t want to poison people, I have to fill out a lot of paperwork, but if I am poisoning my neighbors with pesticides, there’s no paperwork to fill out,” Jason jokes.
Still, he took on the responsibility of wading through all the forms and schedules needed. He got help from Rodale Institute’s Organic Consulting Service, which provides new and transitioning farmers with expertise in organic practices and equipment, marketing, accessing financial resources, applying for and maintaining USDA certified organic status, and just about every other aspect of operating a farm.
Kegan Hilaire, Rodale Institute’s small farms and diversified vegetable consultant, was the point of contact for the team supporting the DeSalvos. He helped the couple to make sense of the requirements as they developed the Organic System Plan that had to be submitted. “The organic certification and inspection process isn’t intuitive, so I wanted to give them a deeper understanding of it and why the information was
43 ACRES OF LAND 10
necessary to share with inspectors,” Hilaire says. “They were already ahead of the curve with recordkeeping, so that made it easier for them. We worked together so they would get used to and feel comfortable with the expectations.”
Jason felt reassured by the support of the consultants. “They had all the knowledge we didn’t, and once I sat down with Kegan and went through the application with him, the process was demystified, and I knew we could handle it. I believe I submitted it four days later.” The operation received approval in 2024.
VALUING DIVERSITY
On much of the 2.5 acres of land closest to the house, the DeSalvos have planted more than 50 perennial food crops, including raspberries and blueberries, asparagus, Egyptian onions, Jerusalem artichokes, persimmons, and elderberries. Just off their back porch, they’ve set up eight raised beds that are tall enough to be weeded while standing, and in early summer, these beds are producing cherry tomatoes, peppers, sugar snap peas, basil, sweet corn, and more. The couple snack and offer tastes as they show visitors around.
On the right side of the house, they’ve established a 315foot bioretention basin, which has a swale planted with native wildflowers and wetland species and a 2,500-gallon cistern
ACRES OF ORGANIC GRAIN CROPS
2.5
ACRES OF ORGANIC VEGETABLES, HERBS, AND PERENNIAL FOOD CROPS, INCLUDING FRUIT AND NUT TREES
5
PRESERVED WETLAND ACRES THAT SERVE AS A NATURAL BUFFER AND WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM
25
ACRES OF PERMANENTLY PRESERVED WOODLANDS
6
GEOTHERMAL WELLS THAT ALLOW FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT HEATING AND COOLING
COLDBROOKFARMNJ.COM
The DeSalvos cultivate a mix of produce, including (clockwise from above) vegetables and herbs in raised beds, currants and other fruit-bearing crops in their permaculture forest, and a small stand of sweet corn that yields fresh ears for their own consumption.
IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO,
WHEN THE CROPS ARE IN FULL PRODUCTION, THE EQUATION WILL WORK FOR US.”
—Jason DeSalvo
SUPPORT SYSTEM
In 2019, Rodale Institute launched its Organic Consulting Service to provide support to farmers who want to transition from conventional to certified organic production. The service offers knowledge, guidance, and connections to farmers across the country through its regional consultants, who have experience with the climate, soils, and markets where they live and work.
Farmers can get help with just about every aspect of operating a successful organic farm, from soil building, weed management, and crop rotations to navigating the certification process, recordkeeping, and inspection preparation. The consulting team can also assist with identifying buyers and markets, accessing financial resources, and networking with other farmers.
To date, the consultants have worked with more than 1,000 farmers in nearly every state in the contiguous United States to help transition more than 45,000 acres to organic production. They are key to helping Rodale Institute work toward its goal of transitioning 1 million acres of farmland to organic. “Each farmer has a main contact they can reach out to with any question,” says Kegan Hilaire, Rodale Institute’s small farms and diversified vegetables consultant. “But there is a whole team behind the main consultant, and we all work together to serve the farmer’s needs.”
For more details and to support the effort to increase organic acreage, visit RodaleInstitute.org/consulting
that captures water for irrigation and overflow. “It’s a brilliant concept, an engineering feat, and a maintenance nightmare,” Deb says with a laugh. “Eventually, the native plants will outcompete the weeds, but the thistle is not understanding that yet,” she adds.
The farmers were able to secure a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service grant to restore Cold Brook, the freshwater stream that crosses through their farm. The banks had collapsed in places, and the water was not running clear. Now the property hosts an “entire food web,” Deb says, “from insects to apex predators and including so many birds. We have a vole colony that is a source of meals for the kestrels. It’s a remarkable change.”
The DeSalvos are farming this land to establish a healthy ecosystem outside their door and also to show how that can be compatible with economic success. “Our goal for this farm is not to make a large profit,” Jason explains. “We are expecting it to at least cover the cost of operating, including imputed wages for our time and labor. We’ve come close so far but haven’t hit that yet.
“We are growing 72 different types of crops here, while most farmers in this area focus on just a few crops,” he continues. “That makes it hard to meet the market demands at our scale. But in another year or two, when the crops are all in full production, the equation will work for us.”
BUILDING BEYOND
The couple began marketing wheat and other grains through River Valley Community Grains in Marksboro, New Jersey, in 2021. It’s a collaborative of farmers, millers, and bakers to “meet the growing demand for nutrient-dense grains, local flour, ‘real bread,’ and healthy cereals,” according to its mission statement. In 2023, the cooperative made the DeSalvos’ wheat available to the public at Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant and agricultural center in Tarrytown, New York.
Near the wheat field, the couple have planted a smaller test plot of Khorasan, the heirloom grain commonly known by the brand name Kamut. It produces larger berries than modern wheat and is also more nutritious. The DeSalvos got the seeds from Bob Quinn, the pioneering organic farmer from Montana, and as they examine the maturing stalks and berries on an early-June day, they remember when the crop was planted.
“We had a meeting here with the regional Foodshed Alliance on the day of the earthquake,” Deb recalls about the rare temblor this year that shook the area on April 5. “We all came outside, and after it was over, we planted the seeds.”
The meeting was focused on establishing a local grain hub that would serve the whole community of farmers in the area.
“There is no certified organic grain processor around here, which makes it hard for organic farmers to get the best prices for their products,” Jason says. “It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the equipment and infrastructure for processing and storage. We’re working with other farmers and other stakeholders to build support for a local organic grain processor and talking about how to raise the funds.”
Establishing a processing facility is likely to have a lasting impact on the land, both on the DeSalvos’ farm and throughout this area of New Jersey. “By alleviating pinch points in the processing end, the DeSalvos are helping to revitalize their local ‘grain shed’ and redesign the food system from the ground up,” Rodale Institute’s Hilaire emphasizes. Getting to know their farming neighbors has been valuable and enlightening to the couple. “It’s been great to find a whole community that we can share our challenges and complain about the weather with,” Deb says. “It’s also been encouraging to realize that many farmers and landowners in this area are in favor of conservation practices, but they don’t know what they need to do or how to go about doing it. We’re here showing how regenerative organic farming can work for them.” RIJ
The farmers obtained a grant to restore Cold Brook, which runs through the property.
In early summer, Jason checks on the ripening of the 2024 wheat crop. The swale behind the house (below) is filling in with a variety of wildflowers and wetland species.
G E N E R AT I O N
Rodale Institute cultivates a fresh crop of regenerative organic farmers.
The future of farming in America is in the able hands of Julia Boughton, Rodrigo and Lucy Menocal, and Rob Younkins, along with many others like them. These people came from diverse backgrounds, considered their career options, and decided to make a commitment to regenerative organic agriculture. They enrolled in Rodale Institute Farmer Training (RIFT), spent a season or more devoted to hands-on, in-depth learning, and are prepared to serve their communities with healthy food while earning a living for themselves.
“The program is life-changing,” says Boughton, who completed it in 2023. “I had just a little knowledge about growing food, and now I’m attempting to produce food on an economically sustainable scale.”
People from all over the United States who want to become organic farmers have completed the course. Many are US military veterans moving into the next chapter of their lives. “The goal of this program is to maximize the number of organic business owners across the country and the world,” says Daniel Kemper, Rodale Institute master trainer. “We don’t want to just train farm laborers.”
FINDING DIRECTION
Before Julia Boughton retired in 2023 from more than 20 years of active duty in the US Air Force, she took advantage of a US Department of Defense program that allows military personnel to lay the groundwork for their next steps while in their final six months of enlistment. She spent that time as a student in the Veteran Farmer Training track at Rodale Institute. “When I started thinking about my life after the Air Force, I wanted to learn how to grow food for a living,” says Boughton, a native of Pennsylvania who now resides in Colorado. She
continued her training with an extended fellowship at Rodale Institute. Lucy Menocal is originally from Mexico, and her husband, Rodrigo, hails from Peru. Both are now US citizens living in Arkansas. Lucy learned about RIFT through her job at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF). Farming has been a vision that the couple have shared since they were married seven years ago, she says. “We want a homestead where we can raise our family, but we knew we needed to learn the necessary skills,” she adds. The COVID pandemic inspired them to begin acting on their plans. “Like everybody, we were paying more attention to our health, and we wanted to have more control over it,” Rodrigo says. “We wanted to be closer to our food.” They completed the RIFT course in 2023. After seven tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, including some “hot and heavy” combat action, Rob Younkins left the military in 2012 for a job with a defense contractor. He felt restless and unfulfilled. In the military, “you have a clear sense of your own purpose,” he says. “It’s hard for me to get that from a desk job.” He joined the 2024 RIFT cohort because he believed learning to farm would give him a similar sense of meaning and purpose. “I have a family
“The program is life-changing. I had just a little knowledge about growing food, and now I’m attempting to produce food on an economically sustainable scale.”
—Julia Boughton
“The amount of information we were taught was incredible. We learned about the biology behind the plants and gained other knowledge we didn’t have.”
—Lucy Menocal (above with husband Rodrigo)
that depends on me,” says the father of three. “I want to develop my self-reliance, provide for them, and serve others.”
About 60 to 80 people apply for RIFT each year, and 20 to 30 more apply for the Veteran Farmer Training track. The 2024 group of 12 trainees included six other veterans besides Younkins. The cohort size varies from season to season based on the number of qualified applicants. Farming experience isn’t required, but students must be US citizens able to work 40 hours per week and to lift at least 50 pounds. Those who are accepted are paid a weekly stipend and are eligible for free housing.
Since Rodale Institute began accepting interns in 2011, more than 100 individuals have completed its farmer training. The youngest was 17 years old, Kemper notes, and the oldest was a 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran who now operates a farm stand in New Jersey. The graduates have come from nearly every state in the US, and about 75 percent are still working in agriculture. More than 50 percent of those program graduates working in agriculture operate their own farms.
“We attract people who are in love with the idea of working as a farmer,” Kemper says. “Many have a romantic view of what they want, and we help them see reality without discouraging their hopes and dreams.”
COMPREHENSIVE COURSE
The nine-month session, hosted at the Rodale Institute main campus in Pennsylvania, includes classroom instruction, farm visits, and the practice of essential farming skills. The students are immersed in the day-to-day activities of a growing season and the research trials, and they learn about how farmers can apply the research findings.
“The amount of information we were taught was incredible,” says Lucy Menocal. “We learned about the biology behind the plants and gained other knowledge we didn’t have.” Much of the time is spent in the field.
“I was working in an office environment before,” Rodrigo adds, “so the training was a big change for me.”
Participants also get lessons on the economics of farming. “We’re learning about every aspect of running a small agriculture business,” Younkins says. “And we’re getting coached on setting up our own business plan.” The program’s capstone project is to present a multiyear budget and business plan for their dream operation to the whole class, Kemper says. The graduates leave with a professional portfolio that they can use to begin applying for loans, grants, and other types of support.
Two RIFT students are selected each year to participate in a fellowship position after their first season. The fellows get advanced training in farm
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture (in 2022) confirms that while the average age of American farmers continues to rise, the growing numbers of beginning, younger, and female producers are likely to choose organic methods. Check out the stats below and learn more about the effort to train the next crop of organic farmers at RodaleInstitute.org/education
58.1
YEARS
Average age of all US farmers
7%
Increase in farmers under 44 since 2017
1 MILLION
Number of producers who have farmed for less than 10 years 41%
Portion of beginning producers who are women
“We’re learning about every aspect of running a small agriculture business.”
—Rob Younkins
crew management, tractor work, organic certification, budgeting, and more. For all students, the program focuses on the production of vegetables, fruit and other perennial crops, and grains for human consumption. There’s a strong market for organic grains and pulses, Kemper says. “We show students that they can make a living off 10 acres with highprofit-margin crops like popcorn and dry beans,” he explains. The 2024 group grew vegetables and sold them at a weekly farmers’ market they organized at the Rodale Institute main campus. Staff members there enjoy picking up fresh organic produce to take home. Going on field trips to working organic farms is another valued component of RIFT. “The students take a lot away from conversations with these business owners,” Kemper says. “They get to ask inti-
mate questions like ‘How much [money] did you have to get started?’ ”
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
Boughton has started with a small vegetable-growing operation not far from Colorado Springs. She’s named it Piccolo Fields Farm, a nod to her years spent playing flute in the US Air Force Band. “I have set up a market garden on 7,000 square feet,” she says. “I’m converting an unused soccer field, and the soil is not great yet. I have planted a variety of crops this season to see what will be marketable and grow well here. I’m out on the prairie, where it’s constantly windy and temperatures fluctuate wildly from day to day.”
The Menocals are back in Arkansas, where they’ve launched Blooming Hope Mushrooms, growing for wholesale
customers. Like 88 percent of farms earning less than $350,000 in revenue, they also rely on off-farm income. Lucy works as an instructor assistant at CAFF (part of the University of Arkansas), while Rodrigo is garden manager at Cobblestone Farms in Fayetteville. They are seeking financing to buy 5 to 10 acres nearby.
As Younkins completes his time with RIFT, he’s shaping his plans for when he returns to his family in Wilmington, North Carolina. “Perennial crops, like a berry patch, seem like a smart way to go. I also want to produce fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kvass, so I’ll always have inventory to sell,” he says. “Dan [Kemper] told us that cut-flower growers are the first to sell out at farmers’ markets, and bouquets have the best profit margin. Growing flowers never occurred to me, but I’m now thinking of adding that to my plan.
“My most important goal is to show my kids that you can harvest the power of nature to grow your own food,” Younkins continues. “That’s an awesome power. It’s better than money.” RIJ
LIFELONG GROWTH
A PARTNERSHIP WITH RODALE
INSTITUTE
BRINGS OLDER ADULTS THE HEALTHIEST FOOD, FRESH KNOWLEDGE, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED.
On a humid, early-summer morning, the Cornwall Manor–Rodale Institute Trailside Organic Farm is bustling yet quiet. The farmers are in the 2-acre field of certified organic vegetables to pick the morning’s harvest, which on this day includes bushels of bright-green zucchini and bunches of fragrant lavender stems. They bring the crops into the packhouse, a cool, well-lit room with commercial counters and sinks. Two residents of Cornwall Manor, the vibrant senior-living community in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, eagerly help with preparing the produce for use in the dining rooms on campus and for sale at the weekly farmers’ market.
Nancy Imphong works steadily through a stack of zucchini, cleaning each one thoroughly. “I love seeing all the healthy food,” she says. “I’m a vegetarian, and it’s great that we have access to the fresh produce.” Debby Tanico trims and bundles lavender into little bouquets, inhaling their fragrance as she sets them in the bin. “We lived in New York City for 40 years, and we moved back to Pennsylvania [where she grew up] for more of the farm life,” she says. “I always enjoy being here at the farm and seeing the crops growing. And I get to work with my favorite herb!”
The Cornwall Manor–Rodale Institute Trailside Organic Farm produces tons of food, and the senior community’s residents, including Debby Tanico (left) and Nancy Imphong (right), regularly help prep the fresh harvest.
PHOTOS
“WORKSHOPS COINCIDE WITH WHAT WE’RE DOING IN THE FIELD. IN MAY, WE DID A SEED-POTATOCUTTING WORKSHOP THAT WAS GOOD FOR ANY LEVEL OF ABILITY.”
—Ian Frederick
9,150 POUNDS OF FRESH
This farm is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a retirement community and Rodale Institute. Launched in 2021, the partnership is already bringing many benefits to the residents of Cornwall Manor, and it is designed as a model for adult-living facilities across the country.
FIRST STEPS
This corner of South Central Pennsylvania, not far from the traditional farming communities of Lancaster County, had been home to an iron blast furnace that operated from the mid-1700s to the late 1800s, including supplying materials for the Continental Army during the War of Independence. Cornwall Iron Furnace, which now operates as a museum, is reputed to be the only surviving intact charcoal-fueled cold-blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1949, local clergy and laypersons purchased the 85-acre family estate of the Colemans, the furnace owners, and with the addition of other living quarters, it became Cornwall Manor. Today, approximately 550 older adults reside in apartments and small houses around the now-190-acre property, with assistedliving and skilled-nursing care available when it’s needed. Buckingham Mansion,
the Colemans’ family home for generations, still stands, and it has been divided into seven residential apartments.
The partnership with Rodale Institute began with the initiative of Vicki Deitzler, Cornwall Manor’s vice president for advancement. “I knew about the St. Luke’s–Rodale Institute Organic Farm,” the joint effort to bring organic food to the patients and staff of a Pennsylvania hospital network, Deitzler explains.
“I went to our leadership team and our board of trustees, told them about the St. Luke’s farm, and explained that we should be feeding our residents the best possible food too. They immediately agreed.”
The project was announced in March 2021, and representatives of both teams soon identified a 2.5-acre lot on land adjacent to the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail, which was built atop the tracks that long ago connected iron from the furnace to markets. The farm is on Cornwall Manor’s Woods campus, where seniors live in single and duplex homes while still enjoying the amenities Cornwall Manor offers all its residents.
“We began with soil improvement and site work that first summer,” says Ian Frederick, who had been working at the Rodale Institute main campus before
being named farm manager at Cornwall Manor. In 2022, the first crops, including flowers to attract pollinators, were planted on a portion of the plot, and a hoop house was erected to extend the growing seasons in spring and fall. The following year, the whole field went into production, and the farm was certified organic. The usual three-year transition process was shortened because fresh soil from a nearby stream reclamation
“WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME WE VISIT THE FARM.”
—Patti Gerhart
project was layered on top of the existing ground, Frederick reports. Affidavits attested that no pesticides or other prohibited substances had been used on the soil. The two-story barn where the packhouse is located was completed in 2023 as well. On the early-summer day in 2024, long rows of crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions, kale and other greens, and sweet potatoes, are lush and full of ripening food. Along the fence line, assorted flowers like zinnias and cosmos add vibrant color to the scene. “The scale of this farm is just right, especially for organic practices,” says Katie Landis, assistant farm manager. “With the people we have, we can produce a lot of food and flowers and handle challenges like weeds and irrigation.”
VALUED VOLUNTEERS
The two farmers, along with a seasonal helper, handle the hard field labor, but residents are invited to help out in a variety of ways, as Imphong and Tanico do. About 20 of them volunteer regularly, doing a wide range of tasks. “The first season we helped to plant garlic,” says John Boudman, who moved into Cornwall Manor with his wife, Linda, from their home in Hershey, Pennsylvania, more than five years ago. “We were down on our knees planting, and I said to her, ‘How is anything going to grow in this rocky, hard soil?’ But what the farmers have done here is incredible. It’s unbelievable what that soil is producing now.” The Boudmans tend several beds of their own in the communal garden, which they proudly show off to a couple of visitors. In June, they have robust
Ian Frederick (opposite) trained at the Rodale Institute main campus before taking on the role of farm manager and mentor of volunteers at Cornwall Manor. Jim and Patti Gerhart (above) have discovered the importance of organic food while enjoying the chance to get their fingers dirty.
“WITH THE PEOPLE WE HAVE, WE CAN PRODUCE A LOT OF FOOD AND FLOWERS AND HANDLE CHALLENGES LIKE WEEDS AND IRRIGATION.”
—Katie Landis
crops of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash. “The peas are done and ready to come out,” Linda says. “We’ve learned a lot about food growing from Ian and Katie. They are so generous with their knowledge.”
Jim and Patti Gerhart, who came to Cornwall Manor from northern Virginia in 2021, have been finding out more about food production. “All we knew about organic food was that it was more expensive in the grocery store. We didn’t know why,” Jim says. “When Ian asked for volunteers, we got involved. We go two or three times a month. That’s when
we began learning about organic practices and how they make a difference.” Jim breaks into a wide grin as he describes the day he got to ride on the seat behind the tractor and plant corn plugs.
The pair are also bringing back newly gained knowledge to their thriving communal garden beds. Patti describes a tip that they picked up from the Trailside organic farmers: a method of trellising tomatoes using twine and clips. “We learn something new every time we visit the farm,” she says. “I’m very interested in growing flowers, so we’re paying a lot of attention to that now.”
Each year, a busload of residents travel to the Rodale Institute main campus, where they see in person what a large-scale organic operation looks like. Experiences like these are a valued benefit for this population. “Our residents tell us they love to keep learning, to keep doing new things,” Deitzler says.
“The farm presents unique engagement opportunities.” The barn has been hosting workshops on a variety of topics, including gardening, cooking, and arts and crafts. “The workshops coincide with what we’re doing in the field,” Frederick says. “In May, we did a seedpotato-cutting workshop that was good for any level of ability. The residents like that they are helping the farm, even though they’re not out in the field.”
HEALTH BENEFITS
The farm’s harvest has become an important resource for the dining services team at Cornwall Manor. In 2023, the farmers harvested 9,150 pounds of fresh produce, and 60 percent of that yield was provided to the on-site kitchens. “Studies have shown that organic foods and healthy eating habits benefit the senior-living population not only to prevent disease but also to improve
overall wellness and longevity,” says Gary Toscano, dining services general manager. Access to fresh food allows residents “to savor the purest flavors and embrace a life of well-being, nourishing their bodies and spirits. We are already seeing the positive impact of having hyperlocal produce from Trailside Farm available in our campus dining areas and look forward to expanding produce selections and educational sessions,” he adds.
About 20 percent of the harvest has been made available to residents and staff at the on-site farmers’ market held every Friday during the growing season. “We fill in gaps from our garden with food from the farmers’ market,” says Linda Boudman. “We like to volunteer to work it so we can talk to everyone about it, and we get a preview of what’s looking good that week.”
The flower bouquets have been an instant hit at the market, with more than 450 distributed in 2023. Any
“WE’VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT FOOD GROWING FROM IAN AND KATIE. THEY ARE SO GENEROUS WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE.”
—Linda Boudman
remaining food is shared with Lebanon’s Chestnut Street Community Center, which gets it to people in the area who are facing food insecurity.
In May 2024, the seeds of the partnership between Rodale Institute and Cornwall Manor were sown beyond the Lebanon campus through a presentation at the annual conference of LeadingAge PA, which represents more than 400 organizations that provide services to older adults in Pennsylvania.
“We had an interested audience asking many questions about what we are doing and how it’s working,” Deitzler says. She was also invited—along with Harry McConnell, Cornwall Manor president; Jeff Tkach, Rodale Institute CEO; and farm manager Frederick—to present the story of the partnership at the LeadingAge national convention, which was held in October 2024. “We know not every community has access
to land for their own farm,” Deitzler says, “but many are located near organic farms. We think it can work to form relationships for fresh food and engagement experiences that benefit both seniors and farmers. We see this project as a model that others can adapt to their circumstances.”
At Cornwall Manor, plans to expand the opportunities for involvement are in the works. The barn will host cooking classes, gardening demonstrations, and square dances. A group of quilters is designing a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pattern that will be transformed into a tile that will be hung on an outside wall.
“People who like to garden, to get their hands dirty—we’re all kindred spirits,” Jim Gerhart says. “The farm gives us a chance to get together and share time with each other, including the farmers.” His wife, Patti, adds, “We never expected to be helping out on a farm when we moved in. Now we get really excited to go there.” RIJ
To learn more about the Cornwall Manor–Rodale Institute Trailside Organic Farm and how you can support the effort to bring healthy food to more people, visit RodaleInstitute.org/ TrailsideOrganicFarm.
Fresh-picked flower bouquets gathered by Katie Landis (far left) sell out fast at the weekly farmers’ market for residents. Low tunnels (center) protect crops from wildlife and insect pests. John and Linda Boudman (left) bring tips they learn at the farm back to their community garden plot.
The State of Organic Farming
Insights from the US secretary of agriculture and other leaders on the current landscape and future of farming in our nation and beyond
THE PANELISTS
(above, from left to right)
TOM VILSACK
US Secretary of Agriculture
GARY HIRSHBERG
EACH SUMMER, ORGANIC FIELD DAY
at the Rodale Institute main campus in Pennsylvania brings together farmers from around the country and several foreign countries so they can learn firsthand about the latest findings of the research team and network with others. The 2024 event was the largest gathering ever and featured a panel of distinguished guests, including Tom Vilsack, the first US secretary of agriculture to visit a Rodale Institute Organic Field Day. More than 500 attendees listened attentively as these leaders discussed the opportunities and challenges for organic
farmers and the food system. Here are a few memorable highlights.
Small farms are struggling to compete with corporate-scale operations. “From a profit perspective, from an income perspective, 2021, 2022, and 2023 were the best years collectively that the country’s farms experienced in the last 50 years,” Vilsack said. “But if I go around and talk to farmers about that, they look at me like I’m not telling them the truth. There’s a reason for that: The [top-earning] 7.5 percent of farms got 85 percent of the income in the three-year
In July 2024, more than 500 farmers and supporters gathered at the Rodale Institute main campus for Organic Field Day, and they heard the panel discuss the challenges and opportunities that organic farmers are navigating. Andrew Smith, PhD, Rodale Institute’s chief scientific officer (above), shared research findings with (right to left) Tom Vilsack, Gary Hirshberg, and Institute board cochair Maria Rodale.
inspection, verification, and penalties for noncompliance,” said Gary Hirshberg, cofounder and former CEO of Stonyfield Organic dairy products.
Younger consumers care about their choices. “Gen Zers are currently 14 to 24 years old and now represent 20 percent of the US population, and by 2030 they’re going to be 40 percent,” Hirshberg said. “There’s clear evidence that they are maniacal about what they eat, where [their food] comes from, how it’s grown, who’s growing it, and how the animals are being treated. They demand transparency. They demand simple labels. And they don’t trust the government or businesses to protect them. The only standard that they actually trust, according to the research, is ‘certified organic.’ ”
Organic luminary and cofounder of Stonyfield Organic
CHRISTA BARFIELD
Organic farming
ambassador and James Beard Award winner
RUSSELL REDDING
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture
period. That left 1.7 million farms to share in 15 percent of the record income.”
Support for family-scale farms can build a stronger food system and a healthier environment. “What we ought to be doing with our resources is figuring out ways [to help] farm families of any size be as entrepreneurial as they possibly can be to create better value for whatever it is they’re raising,” Vilsack said.
The USDA is implementing plans “to encourage farmers to be more sustainable in what they do and be rewarded for it, to increase significantly our transition away from fossil fuels to more bio-based products, and to create a more resilient food system—a local and regional system that’s always with us and won’t break down in a pandemic.”
State-level leadership makes a difference. “Every state has a brand, and part of Pennsylvania’s brand is our agriculture,” said Russell Redding, the Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture. “It’s not good enough to know just how food was produced. We believe it’s important to know where it was produced and that connectedness between the state’s brand and identity of agriculture. Our PA Preferred marketing brand is connected to the strength and power of organic farming and is part of the state’s future.”
“Certified organic” is a trusted standard. The marketplace for organic products “exists because there is a formal, concrete legal definition and standard and a formal legal certification process that requires rigorous documentation,
Farming is health care. “I tell my team that wellness is key and food truly is medicine,” said Christa Barfield, farmer, entrepreneur, and Rodale Institute board member. Farmers “are not just producing delicious, incredible food; [they are growing] preventative health care—for us and for the planet,” Hirshberg said. “And it is the cheapest form of health care.”
Consumers benefit from education. “Educate your friends and neighbors— those who are in farming and those who are outside of farming—about the important role that farming plays in their lives,” Vilsack said. “Regardless of what you’re eating, what you’re drinking, what clothes you’re wearing, what house you live in, or what table you’re eating on, it is thanks to a farmer,” Barfield said. “We need to remind people of that.”
Farming is common ground. “I think agriculture is the one way we can potentially reunite this country,” Vilsack said, “and create a sense, once again, of community—that we are connected to each other and that our fates are connected.”
The Agriculture Carbon Cycle
Burning fossil fuels and tilling
Favorable Forecast
Regenerative organic agriculture can secure the long-term health of our planet and our species.
INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE GENERATES greenhouse gases that are contributing to the rise of global temperatures and destabilizing the climate. Regenerative organic farming has been proved to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere, and its practices support the overall well-being of the environment. Every acre that transitions from conventional to organic management—and every consumer who buys organic products— helps build a healthier tomorrow. Michael Graham, PhD, Rodale Institute’s climate scientist, breaks down the details.
ORGANIC BENEFITS
Drop in dangerous emissions. Organic farming has performed better than conventional management in limiting greenhouse gas emissions in Rodale Institute’s 44-year-old Farming Systems Trial. “When the synthetic fertilizers used in conventional agriculture degrade, they emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 273 times more harmful to our atmosphere than carbon dioxide,” Graham says.
Easier on energy. Conventional farming consumes fossil fuels for the manufacturing, transportation, and distribution of synthetic fertilizers, as well as pesticides and herbicides, compounding the damaging environmental impact of these toxic chemicals.
When organic farmers use compost, like that produced by these windrows at Rodale Institute, carbon from the
Methane management. The confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) prevalent in conventional livestock production produce about 99 percent of the meat consumed in the US, and they generate high levels of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Yield stability. A changing climate is likely to generate extreme weather conditions that can directly affect farm productivity. Organic crops may provide greater yield stability than conventional ones under such extremes, Graham notes. “We have found that organic systems outperform conventional during major drought years,” he says.
Ecosystem protection. “Regenerative organic agriculture benefits both biodiversity and soil health, which is important because biodiversity is declining globally and soil degradation is becoming more widespread,” Graham explains.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
GO PLANT FORWARD. Build your meals around vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, which require fewer resources to produce than meat and dairy products.
OPT FOR ORGANIC. Support farmers that never use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
SHOP LOCAL. Reduce your “food miles,” or the distance your meals travel from farm to table, by buying products in season from organic farmers near you.
WASTE NOT. Purchase what you need and preserve or share what you can’t use right away. The 60 billion tons of edible food tossed in the trash each year in the US wastes the energy used—and greenhouse gases emitted—in its production.
GROW YOUR OWN. Plant a garden to bring a little of your food even closer, learn about the seasonal harvest where you live, and connect to the land outside your door. Compost your kitchen and garden scraps to recycle their nutrients.
raw materials is returned to the soil.
Carbon released into the atmosphere
Carbon captured Methane released
the soil are practices that release carbon dioxide (C02), a greenhouse gas. Plants pull CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass. By minimizing tillage and incorporating cover crops and animal manure, organic farmers sequester CO2 in the soil. Methane, a natural by-product of
Decrease your food miles by planting a garden.
To earn the Regenerative Organic Alliance’s ROC label, farmers must use practices that naturally replenish the soil’s nutrient content and preserve its
Higher Standards
A new “Regenerative Organic Certified” label helps customers find products that are best for people, livestock, and the environment.
THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM, launched by the USDA in 2000, introduced an easily recognized label to designate certified organic products based on verifiable criteria. It has earned the public’s trust, with sales of products bearing the “USDA Organic” seal reaching $70 billion in 2022. The requirements for organic certification are rigorous, but they don’t address key concerns of many buyers. Rodale Institute is a founding partner of an effort to add on to the USDA label and bring consumers a tool to support the highest level of organic food and fiber production. In 2017, a group of farmers, scientists, organic business leaders, advocates, and Rodale Institute established the Regenerative Organic Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at creating “a healthy food system that respects land and animals, empowers people, and restores communities and ecosystems through regenerative organic farming.” To achieve that goal, the alliance has developed an advanced set of standards and an independent, third-party system to verify them. The new Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) program highlights food, textiles, and personal-care ingredients that are produced using practices that exceed the USDA standards for organic certification.
THREE PILLARS
The ROC standards have been built to meet consumers’ expectations in three important areas.
Soil health. Farmers who achieve ROC designation must continuously replenish nutrients and preserve the natural vitality of the soil through cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced tillage, and other strategies. Farms are managed as ecosystems rather than solely as production plots. Soilless systems, such as hydroponics, can currently receive the USDA Organic certification, but they are not eligible for the ROC label.
Animal welfare. Meat and dairy operations must furnish livestock with the “Five Freedoms.” These include freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition; freedom from discomfort via spacious, species-appropriate shelters and comfortable resting areas; freedom from pain, injury, and disease through prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment; freedom to express natural behaviors such as rooting and socializing; and freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions minimize potential for mental or emotional suffering. Livestock must have access to pastures and feed themselves primarily through grazing. The confined animal feeding operations (known as CAFOs) that are common in industrial agriculture are prohibited. This sets a high bar for ROC livestock producers to meet because about 99 percent of meat currently sold in the US comes from CAFOs.
Social fairness. ROC operations must pay living wages to farmers and farmworkers, and they must provide safe working conditions and freedom of association (with a union) for employees. Treatment of farmworkers is not covered in the USDA criteria for organic certification.
Look for the ROC label on a wide range of items, including food products, supplements, and clothing.
RAMPING UP
To qualify for ROC status, farms and food processors must first be certified with the USDA Organic designation. This requirement helps to sustain the label that consumers already know and trust, and it is a baseline step toward attaining the next level of approval. Some refer to the new ROC standard as “beyond organic,” or the highest standard currently available in the marketplace.
Farms, ranches, farmer cooperatives, and grower groups may apply for the ROC program for all or a portion of their operations. Products with ROC ingredients can also display the label on their packaging. Certified farms and products are audited annually, says Elizabeth Whitlow, founding executive director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “We’re looking at many details from the audit reports to see the real impact of certifica-
tion. We check on soil test results and indicators of biodiversity. We pay attention to gender equity and other aspects of the social-fairness pillar. We are asking farmers to make improvements in both processes and outcomes.”
To date, more than 15 million acres of farmland have gained ROC status, and the program is approved to operate in 97 countries. As you see in the photographs on this page, you can already find a wide range of products and ingredients bearing the label. These include items from ROC founding partners Patagonia Provisions, Dr. Bronner’s, and Lundberg Family Farms, as well as brands such as Gallant International apparel and Ancient Nutrition and New Chapter supplements. “Our next goal is to reach 200 million acres,” Whitlow says. “We have a growth mindset and want this program to be as big as anyone can dream it.”
The ROC program is growing and has tallied these numbers as of October 2024.
273 farms and ranches
15.2 million acres
454 types of crops
205 brands
1,799 products
vitality.
Christa Barfield
Urban farmer, entrepreneur, 2024 James Beard Award winner, Rodale Institute board member
RIJ: What inspired you?
CB: My degree is in health care administration, and I worked for multiple hospitals and practices for 10 years. One day I just resigned, took a trip to Martinique, got off that plane, and met Black farmers for the first time. I came back home and five days later started a farm. Black and Brown people are stigmatized and bruised in a sense by farming because of how it has existed in our past. But farming is a part of our heritage.
RIJ: What are your priorities?
CB: Fresh, organic food is not a privilege; it is a human right. Marginalized groups have the poorest health outcomes and the highest rate of gun violence. In the face of these issues, each compounded by systemic racism, urban agriculture is a vector of hope. Access to healthy food, environments bettered by healthy soil and crops, and a community built around local farms can revitalize urban communities.
RIJ: What are the keys to your success?
CB: We lean in to the importance of educating people and educating ourselves on how we can serve people the best. We’ve developed an agriculture business incubator, food and farming programs for local schools, and community classes on topics like gardening and cooking.
RIJ: What is most rewarding to you about being a regenerative organic farmer?
CB: When you watch the soil become healthier, see pollinators returning, and share vibrant, nutrient-dense produce with people, there’s a real sense of fulfillment.
RIJ: How is your work as a regenerative organic farmer impacting people beyond the food on the plate?
CB: I like to tell people that “agriculture is the culture.” We’re not just feeding people; we’re educating them, providing them with tools, and creating spaces where they can reconnect with nature. By using regenerative practices, we’re inspiring others to think about the broader impact of agriculture on their culture, well-being, and future.
NEXT STEPS
Simple ways you can help Rodale Institute to ensure a healthier and safer future
VISIT
Come to Rodale Institute’s main campus for plant sales, gardening workshops, apple picking, yoga classes, film screenings, and other fun seasonal events. Or attend a workshop or field day at a regional resource center in California, Georgia, Iowa, or Washington.
REPRESENT
LEARN
Take an online course on being a conscious consumer, organic gardening, backyard composting, beekeeping, and more. All online courses are free until the end of 2024. Courses.RodaleInstitute.org
Shop the online store for apparel, home and garden products, stickers, and other accessories to proudly show your support for Rodale Institute. RodaleInstituteGardenStore.square.site
VOLUNTEER
Give a little of your time to help with gardening or farm tasks or assist with on-farm events. You will take home fresh knowledge and a feeling that you made a difference.
SUPPORT
See all the details at RodaleInstitute.org/get-involved.
Become a Rodale Institute Perennial Partner by committing to making a monthly contribution. A onetime donation of $1,000 or more—or a recurring gift of $83.33 or more—qualifies you for special perks as a member of the Rodale Institute Leadership Society. Join our regenerative organic movement today and make a lasting impact! RodaleInstitute.org/donate
“THE HEALTH OF SOIL, PLANT, ANIMAL, AND MAN IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.”
—Sir Albert Howard (1873–1947)
At Rodale Institute’s main campus in Pennsylvania, long-term research trials generate actionable data and insights on farming, food, health, and the environment.
