April 2018 Issue PDF

The Acres U.S.A. April 2018 issue; Vol. 48, No. 4; contains the following:

FEATURES

Adaptive Grazing
by Tamara Scully
Multispecies grazing allows for parasite control, better pasture utilization, safety and soil enhancement. The Walnut Hill Farm practices adaptive grazing, or aiming to mimic what would happen in a natural grazing system.

Fracking in Farm Fields
by Maria Dimengo
More than 74 percent of U.S. farms operate within shale basins, active shale plays and fracturing sand geologies.

Growing Potential
by Jordan Strickler
Hemp, once a legal and thriving crop in the United States, is beginning to make a comeback.

Alternative Grain Gains
by Shawndra Miller
At Maple Drive Farms, a 2,500-acre row crop operation near Addison, Michigan, a father-and-daughter team produces food-grade, non-GMO teff.

Itsy Bitsy Greens Pack Potent Punch
by Lauren Turner
Michael Douglas and his wife, Astrid Raffinpeyloz, operate Itsy Bitsy Greens, an organic/biodynamic microgreens farm in Sequim, Washington.

Growing Under Glass
by Richard Skelly
What began in 1973 as a small garden and landscaping center on a farm in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, specializing has expanded to 5 acres of indoor greenhouse growing.

Digging for Black Gold
by Emily Ludolf
The remarkable tales of successful organic truffle farming in Northern California are giving new hope to wineries that can no longer rely on grapes alone. 

Flame Weeding for Organic Weed Control
Staff Reports
Two certified organic farms find host of benefits with flame weeding.

Interview: David C. Johnson
The Promise of Microbes
Scientist David C. Johnson explores microbial communities, compost and carbon sequestration.

DEPARTMENTS

View from the Country
Monthly musings from Acres U.S.A.’s publisher. 

Letters to the Editor
Readers share their thoughts on past articles and words of encouragement.

Opinion: Measuring Biodiversity on Organic Farms
While surprising to many of us, biodiversity is not an esoteric, incalculable quality. In fact, it is relatively easy to quantify. And by law, organic certifiers should be doing just that.

Eco-Update
News in brief from around the world on developments in eco-farming technology, organic food and farming, human health and vital environmental issues.

Science on Your Side
Acres U.S.A. highlights recent research and what it means for you.

The Harvest Table: Meat is Life
In part 1 of this three-part series of articles, farmer Andrew French explores the ethics, ecology and economy of raising and eating animals.

Stock & Flock: The Physiology of Fear
Temple Grandin shares the basics of keeping livestock stress-free for better health.

Small-Scale Success: Bats on the Farm
It is estimated that bats save $741,000 annually in the reduction of pesticide use and as much as $54 billion in year in pest control services in the United States alone.

Reviews & Recommendations
From in-depth book reviews to innovative websites and beyond, here’s what’s on our radar.

Marketplace

Classifieds

Eco-Meetings
We let you know when and where exciting eco-farming events are happening.

Meet an Eco-Farmer
Get to know fellow innovative farmers putting ecologically correct production principles to work, resulting in profitable, sustainable operations.