Growing tomatoes in Iceland: isolated, cold and dark?

Growing tomatoes in Iceland? Sure! At Fridheimar, Knútur and Helena do just that. They produce one tonne of organic tomatoes every day. Close to their farm is a hot water spring they use. When the water comes in, it is still about 95 degrees Celsius. The water heats the greenhouse, so it is always about…

How organic farmers control weeds & pests

Organic farming relies on natural practices like promoting biodiversity and using natural nutrition sources. It probably isn’t surprising that the Canadian organic standards prohibit the use of seeds that have been genetically modified in labs for crop farming. Using non-modified seeds means organic farmers…

US: Organic seed producers directory connects seed growers and buyers

Organic Seed Alliance has unveiled an online Organic Seed Producers Directory, an easy-to-use tool that connects organic seed producers with seed companies and wholesale seed buyers. Seed producers are invited to create a profile in this directory so wholesale seed purchasers can easily find and connect…

First organic cucumbers harvested at Bio Kwekerij Frank de Koning:

"Despite little light, we immediately have a decent volume"

Recently the first organic cucumbers were harvested in the greenhouses of Dutch organic grower Frank de Koning. Despite little light, already early in the season there is a strong crop with good setting, so a substantial volume of about 3 to 4 cucumbers per square meter is immediately available. "That is really good for organic cultivation," according to grower Wim van M…

Designing resilient organic greenhouse production systems for Europe

During the last decade, there has been a strong discussion about the principles of organic farming, driven primarily by the differences in organic production systems in Europe. Some systems are highly intensified and focus on high economic sustainability whereas others focus on increasing biodiversity…

Alfons and Henriette van den Hoek (Aldo):

"The Netherlands consumes less meat, but beef tomato is on the rise"

Alfons and Henriette van den Hoek grow organic tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. The choice to grow organically was made in 2015. "Organic cultivation is without pesticides and without artificial fertilizers. Th…

Orocide

New biological insecticide/acaricide/fungicide registered in Spain

Oro Agri has registered its new insecticide/acaricide/fungicide Orocide, in Spain. This new plant protection product has recently been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and is based on Orange Oil, an active substance of natural origin. The product has been authorized for use on 36 crops including…

CAN (PE): Kensington greenhouse operation now 100 per cent heated by renewable fuel

An Island farming operation will receive more than $800,000 for a project to increase energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel use in its greenhouse operation. The Schurman Family Farm in Kensington provides organically grown produce throughout Atlantic Canada. For this, they received a federal…

Growers respond to lawsuit against USDA

"Changing the rules now would limit the amount of organic produce available to the public"

The Coalition for Sustainable Organics (CSO) is saddened by what they refer to as the latest attempts by the Center for Food Safety and their allies to limit fair competition and organic supplies in the market through legal action. Lee Frankel, the executive director of the CSO stated, “It is…

Farmers, nonprofits sue USDA, saying hydroponics can't be organic

Center for Food Safety (CFS), along with a coalition of organic farms and stakeholders, filed a lawsuit challenging the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) decision to allow hydroponic operations to be certified organic. The lawsuit claims that hydroponic operations violate organic…

"New organic products legislation will benefit New Zealand horticulture"

New legislation to increase consumer confidence in organic products will benefit the domestic and export New Zealand horticulture industry, Horticulture New Zealand says. "The…

Organic expansion in greenhouse industry continues

When Nature Fresh Farms started adding organic items to its product offering, it started with just organic bell peppers. “We started out with nine organic acres in Leamington,” says Ray Wowryk with Nature Fresh Farms. At the end of 2017, the nine acres had expanded into 15 and since then, the company has…

Chris Bell - InterNatural Marketing

US organic company brings 150 years of experience to the UK

Chris Bell has been in the organic trade for around for 38 years in the US. Chris started InterNatural Marketing initially to export organic products to Europe. “At that time organics was not as big in the US as it was in Europe, so I was involved with IFoam and all those early meetings and sold quite a…

organicXseeds

Organic seed database now also available in Denmark

In order to make the availability of organic seeds more transparent, the implementation of an electronic database is obligatory for all EU member states according to…

OSA, OFRF release producer surveys

Mapping organic cultivation in the US

OSA and the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) have released two national surveys: one for certified organic producers and a second for producers transitioning to organic. This collaborative effort is part of a project to learn about the challenges and research priorities of organic operations.…

Coop Sole

Organic production and small fruits are increasingly growing in demand

"Last year, the organic production on Coop Sole's turnover was 15%, but for the future we aim to double it to 30%. Currently, the organic production is about 2500 tons and consists of the organic strawberry under the brand SiBon, the assortment of winter vegetables, the melon and modest quantities of small…

State-of-the-art greenhouses bring organic tomatoes to Mauritius

Italian tomatoes are soon to be available in Mauritius. This is despite the fall in reputation of locally grown vegetables. The biggest hydroponics farm in Mauritius is out to grow pesticide free crops in environmentally friendly greenhouses - and getting bees to do the hard work. First of five units…

"Products grown in Russian greenhouses must be certified organic"

Products grown on organic substrates in greenhouses, subject to all other requirements, must be certified as organic. This opinion was expressed on Wednesday at a meeting of…

The Canadian greenhouse industry: producing sustainable food

Greenhouses play an important role in food security. With the help of Dutch partners the Canadian greenhouse industry has evolved into an efficient sector that provides sustainable food throughout the year. This innovative way of producing is getting more acknowledged and fits well in the Sustainable Development…

An examination of 13 varieties that could boost the market

Screening sweet peppers for organic farming

A study conducted out of The University of Georgia delved into the comparative yields of sweet pepper varieties produced under organic farming conditions. George Boyhan, Cecilia McGregor, Suzanne O’Connell, Johannah Biang, and David Berle completed a replicated, randomized experiment involving 13 pepper…

Rasmus, Biosund:

Denmark: Rosa Danica subsidiary launches organic pot plant line

Denmark is one of the strictest countries regarding the rules for organic production, but Rasmus Moth Madsen took the plunge and started to focus on the production of organic potted plants. His father is Torben Moth Madsen of Rosa Danica A/S, a potted rose grower, and in his greenhouse, Rasmus started…

Organics and the EU Exit transition period

As part of the on-going dialogue government departments have with stakeholders during the EU Exit process the Defra Organics team have issued new guidance. The UK left the EU…

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