Browse Organic Stories

As demand for organic food continues to rise, organic agriculture has attracted both longtime producers and new farmers into the industry. University of Georgia researchers are working on a new study meant to develop best practices for transitioning farmers starting out with land that has been used for grazing or has lain fallow.

For nearly three decades, Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez has been contributing to the field of sustainable vegetable production, focusing on organic agriculture as a professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture. This month, Georgia Organics is recognizing his work with the 2022 Land Steward Award.

Principles before profit has been 3 Porch Farm’s business model from the beginning. When the farm was just a dream, Steve and Mandy O’Shea — owners and operators of 3 Porch Farm — knew that they wanted to use their business to do as much good as possible. And now, with more than 10 years of farming under their belts, the couple’s commitment to sustainability is evident in everything they do on the farm.

The hot, humid climate in the Southeast lends itself to nearly year-round insect, weed and disease pressure, and growing is especially tough if you’re an organic farmer.

Organic fruit and vegetable growers want to meet the recent uptick in national consumer demand, but they need additional tools to battle pests and diseases that often accompany organic crop growth.

A study by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and collaborators at The Nature Conservancy and Washington State University challenges the notion that native bird species only belong in wooded habitats. This study has found that diversified farms are mutually beneficial for producers and native wildlife, creating a system where conservation and production are equal priorities.

There is a lot more growing at UGArden — the University of Georgia’s student-run community farm — than just vegetables. Student involvement, community outreach and adoption of sustainable practices are all products of the work of students and staff at the garden. 

Using horticultural oil sprays as an integrated pest management strategy to control San Jose scale in peach trees can be an effective alternative to chemical applications, and a University of Georgia study finds that the best control comes after trees have been pruned, allowing for lower application rates than previously recommended.

If they start now, Georgia organic farmers can use mulch and cultivation to manage young weeds, according to Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez, vegetable scientist on the University of Georgia Tifton campus. If weeds are not controlled successfully and are allowed to grow throughout May and June, they can compete with crops for nutrients, water and sunlight.

There are more than 6,000 species of lady beetles in the world, most having different natural histories and roles in their environments. Being able to identify the different species is vital to understanding them, and knowing what they look like is typically a major part of that process.