Resources for Regenerative Agriculture

Workshop #0: Introduction to the workshop series

Growing Food in California on Small Farms

Farm First, with Andy Pressman, “Farm Stress And Emotional Well-Being,”

Alan L. Olmstead and Paul W. Rhode, “A History of California Agriculture,” UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, 2017.

Tracy Perkins, “Roadside Art in the ‘Salad Bowl of the World:’ How Agricultural Ideology Obscures Racial Capitalism and Inhibits Labor Reform,” Boom California, June 28, 2022.

Soil Sampling

Robert Flynn, “Test Your Garden Soil” & “Haga un análisis de suelo a su jardín,” New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, aces.nmsu.edu/pubs.

A&L Western Laboratories, “Soil Analysis.”

Rex Dufour, “Tipsheet–Assessing the Soil Resources for Beginning Organic Farmers,” July 2015.

Francisco José Castillo Díaz , “La conexión sostenible: residuos y economía circular en agricultura intensiva.”

Workshop #1: The Lay of the Farmland

Walking the Farm

Janet McAllister, et al, “Reading the Farm—Training Agricultural Professionals in Whole Farm Analysis for Sustainable Agriculture,” NortheastSARE, June 2015.

PennState Extension, Farmland Assessment Checklist, Sept. 2021.

Soil physics & soil health

Barbara Bellows, “Soil Health Indicators and Tests,” November, 2020.

Rodias, E.; Aivazidou, E.; Achillas, C.; Aidonis, D.; Bochtis, D.,“Water-Energy-Nutrients Synergies in the Agrifood Sector: A Circular Economy Framework.” Energies 2021, 14, 159.

Water management, irrigation practices & erosion control

Joanna Ory, Mark Schonbeck & Diana Jenkins, “Water Management & Water Quality,” Organic Farming Research Foundation, 2017.

Sergey Komaradenkov, et al., “Experimental Design and Results of Deployment of SproutLabs Moisture Sensors in a Control and Experimental Bed,” SSRF, January 26, 2023.

 

Cover crops

“Principles and Practices of Growing Cover Crops,” UCSC Center for Agroecology (video)

Andy Clark, “Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations,” WSARE.

Rob Myers, et al., “Cover Crop Economics,” WSARE.

Rodale Institute, “Cover Crops and No-Till Management for Organic Systems.”

Laura Murphy, “Cultivos de Cobertura: Un ejercicio de charla y pensamiento para determinar las mejores aplicaciones de cultivos de cobertura en su finca.” Workshop Presentation.

Andy Clark, “Cultivos de Cobertura para Rotaciones de Cultivos Sustentables,” WSARE.

Contouring the land

How to Level the Land (video)

Paul Robins and Ben Burgoa, “Hillslope Farming Runoff Management Practices Guide,” Monterey Resource Conservation District, Feb. 2014.

Workshop #2: Soil Day & Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative Agriculture & Agroecology

Sergey Komaradenkov, “Agricultural Regenerativas,” Presentation to workshop.

EOS.com, “Regenerative Agriculture: Practices For Secure Future,” 1/14/21.

EOS.com, “Agricultura Regenerativa: Camino A Un Futuro Seguro,” 6/8/21,

Clara Bosch, “Regenerative Agriculture: What is it? Who is it for? Common practices, principles and resources,”  Wikifarmer

Enrique Kolmans & Darwin Vasquez, “Manual de Agricultural Ecologica,” Nov. 1999, Grupo de Agricultura Orgánica, Asociación Cubana de Técnicos Agrícolas y Forestales

UCSC Center for Agroecology, Guías para agricultores principiantes de cultivos especializados

Soil biology

Chris Nichols, “Introduction to Soil Biology,” USDA Agricultural Research Service, n.d.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), “Biological Indicators and Soil Functions,” Feb. 2015.

Mark Schonbeck, Diana Jenkins & Vicki Lowell, “Soil Health & Organic Farming: Understanding & Optimizing the Community of Soil Life,”  Organic Farming Research Foundation, 2019.

Archuleta Slake & Infiltration Test

Soil chemistry

Minnesota Stormwater Manual, “Soil Chemical properties & processes,” 2022.

USDA NRCS, “Chemical Indicators and Soil Functions,” Feb. 2015.

John Duxbury, Graham Lyons and Tom Bruulsema, “Human Health Depends on Soil Nutrients,” Better Crops 99, #1 (2015): 7-9

Soil health

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Health Assessment & Soil Quality Indicators.

Robert Flynn & John Idowu, “Managing Organic Matter in Farm and Garden Soils,” New Mexico State University CES, #687.

ATTRA Agricultura Sustentable, “Hoja de Datos: Evaluando el Recurso Suelo para Agricultores Orgánicos Principiantes,” Julio, 2015.

Servicio de Conservacion de Recursos Naturales, “Suelos Saludables y Productivos– Lista de verificación para productores.”

CropLife Latin America, Infografia_Proteccion_Suelos.

Compost & composting

ATTRA, “Hoja de Datos: Compost”

NCAT & UC ANR, “How to Add Compost on Your Small Farm.” https://attra.ncat.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/how-to-add-compost-on-your-small-farm.pdf.

NCAT & UC ANR, “Cómo Agregar Compost En Su Pequeña Granja,” https://attra.ncat.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/compostparagranjaspequanas.pdf

 ASP Composting Webinar

Workshop #3: Extending the Growing Season

Indoor farming

Vern Grubinger, “High Tunnels and Other Season Extension Techniques,” SARE, 2016.

Michael O’Gorman, “High tunnels: increase production and profitability for small farmers in the Salinas Valley, CA,” ALBA/WSARE.

Vacuum seeders

How to Build a Vacuum Seeder for under $50,” Youtube.

Mile Creek Farm,”Building a Vaccum Seeder,” 2012.

Sogn Valley Farm, “Vacuum Flat Seeder,” 2016.

Hoop Houses

Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, “How to Build a Low-cost Hoop House.”

22’x96′ – 2000 Hoop House Series Installation Manual

Del Jimenez, “High Tunnel Hoop House Construction for New Mexico,” New Mexico State Cooperative Extension Service Circular 606.

WSARE, “A Hoophouse on the Move

Brent Black, et al, “Constructing a Low-cost High Tunnel,” Jan. 2008.

Workshop #4: Farming as a Business

 Farming is a business

U.S. AID, “Farming as a Family Business,” Aug. 2012.

 Understanding stocks & flows in farm operations & management

John Reuter, “Chapter 6: Stock & Flow Systems” in Integrative Approaches for Addressing Environmental Problems, 2015.

 Money, finances, capital, insurance

U.S. AID, “Farming as a Family Business,” Aug. 2012, Module 6, pp. 45-53.

 Keeping records

U.S. AID, “Farming as a Family Business,” Aug. 2012, Module 5, pp. 35-43.

Agricultural regulations

Accessing public & other resources

List of Agricultural Funding in California

Farm Service Agency California State Programs

CDFA Farmer Resource Portal

CDFA Grant Programs for Farmers

CDFA Resources and Information for Farmers and Ranchers

Workshop #5: Into the Market

Common obstacles in markets & practical skills to address them

How markets operate in the U.S. food system & locally

Developing market strategies & practices

Beyond wholesaling to alternatives

Branding your farm

Writing fair contracts & agreements

Workshop #6: A Low-cost Storage Cooler

Technical assistance through agencies, colleagues, friends & family

Using cool storage to increase markets & sales

New agricultural technologies for small farms

Building a cooler

Container Mini-pack house

How to Build a walk-in cooler for your small farm

Container Mini-pack house

How to Build a walk-in cooler for your small farm