A Useful Soil Test Starts Before the Sample Bag
Divide the farm into decisions, not convenient buckets. A repeatable sampling plan is the first input worth buying.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
The grower’s field companion / No. 0041Good ground.
ROOTED INGood ground.
Better decisions.
What goes into your soil. What earns its place on your farm. Follow the evidence, from the first question to the next season.
Find your next field noteEVIDENCE
OPEN TO QUESTIONS
© Oregon State University · Image source
Out in the fieldWhat are you
What are you
working on?
A sequence, not a rabbit holeStart with the job.
Start with the job.
Follow a field path.
Four curated routes through the new edition. Read in order, or go straight to the decision in front of you.
Read before you buyNotes worth taking
Notes worth taking
into the field.
Research with a job to do.
Read the context. Question the claim.
Make the decision fit your ground.
Design the Irrigation Zone Before Buying the Tape
Match the water supply, crop blocks and operating routine before comparing rolls of drip tape.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Draw the Wash/Pack Flow Before Buying Another Table
Follow produce, people, bins and wastewater through the space—and find the crossings that matter.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Silage Tarps for Weed Control: Plan the Rotation First
Opaque tarps can hold clean beds and suppress weeds, but timing, species, wind, handling, and plastic life determine the result.
Temperate United States, with Northeast and mid-Atlantic research emphasized
Biochar on the Farm: Match the Material to the Soil
Biochar is not one product or one result. Soil constraints, feedstock, co-amendments, and transport decide whether a trial is sensible.
Global evidence with separate cautions for tropical and temperate systems
Two-Wheel or Compact Tractor? Start With the Work
Bed geometry, lifting and hauling, service access, soil conditions, safety, and annual hours matter more than a horsepower headline.
United States; dealer, safety, and shared-equipment options are local
Compost Tea: Test the Claim Before Buying the Brewer
A field decision guide to disease claims, food-safety boundaries, organic records, and small controlled trials.
United States; food-safety and organic-rule notes are U.S.-specific
Mycorrhizal Inoculants: Buy Only for a Testable Gap
Mycorrhizal fungi matter, but commercial products vary. Diagnose the production system, verify viability, and keep an untreated control.
United States; evidence spans greenhouse, nursery, and field settings
Nitrogen-Fixing Microbes for Corn: What University Trials Have Found
Can microbial nitrogen products cut corn fertilizer? Independent university trials, company data and what it means for your N plan, as of September 2026.
United States / source-specific context
PFAS in Biosolids and Compost: What Farmers Need to Know in 2026
EPA's PFAS biosolids risk assessment, the July 2026 draft guidance (comments due Oct 5, 2026) and state actions, explained for farmers and landowners.
United States / source-specific context
Persistent Herbicides: Screen Compost, Manure, and Hay
Trace feedstocks, quarantine uncertain loads, and use an extension bioassay before sensitive vegetables meet imported organic matter.
United States; product labels and reporting routes vary by state
Verify Organic Inputs: OMRI, WSDA, CDFA and Fertilizer Fraud Lessons
Not every 'organic' fertilizer is what it claims. How OMRI, WSDA and CDFA review inputs, what fraud cases teach, and a checklist before you buy.
United States / source-specific context
Biodegradable Mulch and Organic Rules: Why No Product Qualifies Yet
Biodegradable mulch film is on the NOP National List, yet no commercial product meets the rules as of September 2026. Here is why, and what to do.
United States / source-specific context
Plastic Mulch and Microplastics: What 2026 Research Means for Farms
Two 2026 studies disagree on how much plastic mulch adds to soil microplastics. What the evidence shows, and practical ways to cut farm plastic.
United States / source-specific context
Copper Fungicides in Organic Farming: Limits, Buildup, Alternatives
Copper rules for organic growers as of September 2026: the EU 28 kg/ha cap, NOP accumulation rules, what soil data shows, and ways to use less copper.
United States / source-specific context
Organic-Approved Isn't Bee-Safe: Spinosad, Pyrethrins and Pollinators
Spinosad and pyrethrins are allowed in organic farming but toxic to bees. What the fact sheets say and how to protect pollinators when you spray.
United States / source-specific context
Exclusion Netting: Design Around Pest and Pollination
A barrier works only when mesh, timing, sealing, crop access, and pollination are designed as one production system.
Northeastern and eastern United States evidence; adapt to local pest timing and heat
Dicamba's 2026 Re-Registration: What It Means for Organic Neighbors
EPA re-registered over-the-top dicamba in Feb 2026. What organic and specialty growers should know about drift, buffers, residue limits and records.
United States / source-specific context
Pest Resistance to Organic Sprays: Keeping Bt and Spinosad Working
Pests can become resistant to organic sprays. What research shows on spinosad and Bt resistance, and an IPM plan to keep these tools effective.
United States / source-specific context
Organic Certification Cost Share 2026: Rates, Rules, Dec 31 Deadline
Organic certification cost share pays the lesser of 75% or $750 per scope for 2025–2026. What counts, who qualifies and how to apply by Dec 31, 2026.
United States / source-specific context
EQIP and CSP After the 2025 Budget Law: What Changed and How to Apply
The 2025 budget law moved IRA money into permanent EQIP and CSP funding and dropped climate targeting. What changed and how to approach NRCS in 2026.
United States / source-specific context
The 2026 Farm Bill: Where It Stands and What Eco Farmers Should Watch
As of Sept 17, 2026 the House has passed its farm bill, a Senate panel just advanced one, and the extension ends Sept 30. What eco farmers should watch.
United States / source-specific context
Regenerative Labels Compared: ROC, AGW, Land to Market, Real Organic
Regenerative Organic Certified, Certified Regenerative, Land to Market, Real Organic Project, Demeter and more compared: baselines, scale and trade-offs.
Multiple study regions
Soil Carbon Credits: Are They Worth It for Farmers? 2026 Reality Check
Soil carbon credits in 2026: who buys, how farmers are paid, why measurement is disputed, what Nori's closure shows, and questions to ask before signing.
United States / source-specific context
EU Gene-Editing Rules and Organic Farming: What Changes and When
The EU adopted its new genomic techniques (NGT) rules in June 2026. NGT plants are banned in organic, but only seeds get labels. What changes and when.
European Union
England's SFI26 Explained: What Eco and Organic Farmers Need to Know
SFI26 reopened in England in 2026 with a £240m budget, a £100k cap and organic conversion payments. Windows, eligibility and what eco farmers should do.
England
The Electric Tractor Shakeout: Monarch, Solectrac and What Comes Next
Monarch shut down and sold its technology to Caterpillar; Solectrac's parent was liquidated. What small farms should check before buying electric now.
United States / source-specific context
Laser and Robotic Weeders in 2026: Who Survived and Which Farms Fit
Carbon Robotics, FarmDroid and Stout are active; Small Robot Company closed and FarmWise and Naïo were rescued. Costs, fit and a vendor-risk checklist.
United States / source-specific context
Build a Market-Garden Tool Kit Around Bottlenecks
Three spending stages for bed preparation, seeding, weed control, harvest, and records—without pretending a shopping list fits every farm.
United States; prices and shared-equipment options must be checked locally
Virtual Fencing for Grazing: Halter, Nofence, Costs and Caveats
Virtual fence collars from Halter and Nofence promise easier rotational grazing. What is known about how they work, quote-based costs and the risks.
United States / source-specific context
Farm Right to Repair After the Deere Settlement: What Changed in 2026
The FTC and five states settled with Deere in July 2026. What the proposed order covers, what still needs court approval, and where state laws fit.
United States / source-specific context
Organic vs. Conventional Yields: What Meta-Analyses and Trials Show
Organic yields run about 5–34% below conventional, depending on crop and management. What Seufert, Ponisio, Rodale FST and DOK found, and their limits.
Multiple study regions
Market Garden Income: Realistic Numbers vs. Social Media Claims
Six-figure micro-farm claims are self-reported. What USDA Census, ERS and local-food data say about small farm income, and where the data runs out.
Multiple study regions
Surviving Organic Transition: The 36-Month Valley and Support in 2026
The 36-month organic transition means organic costs without organic prices. Premiums, cost share, EQIP and TOPP support as of September 2026.
United States / source-specific context
Sri Lanka's 2021 Fertilizer Ban: Why It Isn't a Verdict on Organic
Sri Lanka's 2021 overnight ban on synthetic fertilizer hit rice and tea hard. What happened, what's still uncertain, and how gradual transitions differ.
Sri Lanka
Read a Soil Report Without Turning It Into a Shopping List
Check the crop, units, method and recommendation before treating every low-looking number as a deficiency.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Read the Compost Analysis Before the Truck Arrives
Moisture, nutrient basis, salts and batch identity can change what a cheap load actually delivers.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Choose a Cover Crop by Its Job and Its Exit Date
Build a shortlist around the rotation window, not the longest seed-mix label.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Plan the Cover Crop’s Exit Before You Sow It
Residue, regrowth, soil water and planting tools determine whether the next crop starts on time.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Test One Farm Change Without Fooling Yourself
A practical trial needs a clear comparison, repeated plots and a measurement plan—not just a convincing photograph.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Build a Scouting Routine You Can Actually Repeat
Turn a field walk into comparable observations, a diagnostic question and a recorded next step.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Make Insect Habitat a Farm Plan, Not a Flower Packet
Start with existing refuge, seasonal gaps and exposure risks before adding a new strip.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
A Stale Seedbed Is a Sequence, Not an Empty Bed
Use the interval before sowing deliberately—and avoid undoing it with the final pass.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Cultivate for the Weed Stage, Not the Calendar
A well-timed pass starts with crop size, weed size, soil condition and a short test run.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Make the Moisture Sensor Answer a Field Question
A number becomes useful when you know its units, location, depth and relationship to the crop’s roots.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Is the Far End Getting Water? Check Drip Uniformity
Compare discharge across a working zone before solving a dry patch with a longer irrigation run.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Before Adding More Compost, Audit the Tunnel’s Inputs
Separate fertility, soluble salts and irrigation-water questions in a protected growing space.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
A Fan Is Not a Vent: Map Airflow Through the Tunnel
Distinguish air movement inside the structure from exchanging it with outside air.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
The Cooler Is Cold. Is the Produce?
Track product temperature and airflow before assuming the thermostat has finished the cooling job.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Calibrate the Seeder for This Seed Lot, Not Last Year’s Setting
Use a repeatable bench check and a short field pass to separate delivery problems from emergence problems.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Buy, Rent or Hire? Compare the Whole Job
Separate annual ownership costs from operating costs, then test how much work the machine will really do.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
Export Before You Subscribe: A Farm-Records Test
Check whether your field history can leave the software in a form you can actually use.
United States; regional extension context, adapt with local advice
No field notes match that combination.
Try a broader region or clear the filters. A missing result says nothing about suitability for your farm.
The material checkKnow what
Know what
comes through
the farm gate.
A load of compost carries a history. Trace the feedstock, ask better questions, and understand what a plant bioassay can—and cannot—tell you.
Open the compost field guide Sourcing • plant response • local contextA little less guessworkPut the numbers
FIELD WORKSHEET / 01Put the numbers
on the bench.
Compare two ways to do a job. Count materials, delivery, labor, and the number of beds you will actually cover.
Open the field workbenchMaterial+Delivery+Labor
Your working bedsCost / bed
Your assumptions. Transparent arithmetic.A shelf for the whole notebook.
52 complete guides, the original research report, and topic briefs—all kept in their source context.
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