Tomato is a very important vegetable crop in Italy. Improving the means of production for processing organic tomatoes could help guarantee better profits for farmers and, at the same time, enhance environmental management and safeguard consumers’ health. Weed control, in particular within crop rows, is one of the main problems in organic farming, and thus also for the organic cultivation of tomato. The aim of this study was to develop innovative strategies and equipment for effective physical weed control in processing tomatoes. A conventional weed management system incorporating herbicides was compared with an alternative system relying exclusively on physical control during three growing seasons (2006–2008) on a farm located near Pisa, Italy. The crop was transplanted mechanically onto paired rows. The conventional strategy consisted of three different chemical treatments, two post-transplanting PTO-powered rotary hoe passes and several hand-weeding treatments on the paired rows. The alternative system included a stale seedbed technique (performed by a rolling harrow pass and one flaming treatment), two post-transplanting precision hoeing treatments and several hand-weeding treatments. All the machines for the alternative system were adjusted and set up for processing tomatoes transplanted in paired rows. Each physical treatment (mechanical and thermal) within the alternative system allowed an ‘instantaneous’ (just before/just after) weed control from 50 to 100%, while the alternative strategy as a whole achieved values of weed dry biomass at harvest ranging from 22 to 126 g m−2. However, the alternative system required a total labor input that averaged 50% higher than the conventional strategy. The conventional system had on average more effective weed control than the alternative system, but both strategies controlled weeds effectively. Weed biomass at harvest averaged 36 and 68 g m−2 for conventional and alternative strategies, respectively. On the other hand, the alternative system generally led to a significant increase in fresh crop yield (+13% average yield for the 3 years).

This paper uses recent survey results from almost 1000 dairy producers in northeastern US to analyze farmers’ perceptions of barriers to the adoption of rotational grazing [management-intensive grazing (MIG)] as a means for feeding their dairy herds. The survey found that approximately 13% of dairy producers in the region were using MIG during the 2006 growing season. Approximately 40% of farmers surveyed were using a confinement feeding operation where the milking herd does not graze at all and close to 47% were using a traditional system that involved some pasture forage for the milking herd. Regardless of the popular sentiment that increased information and technical assistance is needed in the field, producers more frequently report a series of other barriers as being greater obstacles to the adoption of MIG. Farmers using confinement feeding tended to see each of the barriers presented as being more significant obstacles than did other farmers. Farmers with higher debt ratios and higher milk production per cow were more likely to view the financially related barriers (decreased milk production per cow, cash flow and farm profits) as significant obstacles.

The multifunctional agronomic, ecological, economic and social uses of grass-based agricultural systems in peri-urban Marion County, Iowa, were the subject of investigation from 2003 to 2005. Following a sociocultural analysis that identified diverse motivations of cow–calf operators, an on-farm, agroecological experiment was established with a member of the study group. The objective of the experiment was to investigate the feasibility of establishing a multifunctional prairie pasture in response to the operator's interest in certified organic, warm-season plant species paddocks. At the field level, the implementation of native grasses and legumes into fallow pasture without the use of herbicides under flash grazing, mowing and unmanaged control treatments showed differences in species establishment and pasture composition. After three growing seasons, native species were evident in all treatments, with no significant differences between grazing and mowing in total native species establishment. There was a trend toward greater native legume establishment in the control over the managed treatments. Thus, total species abundance was greatest in control plots, suggesting this treatment for maximum prairie pasture establishment without herbicides. Concurrence was observed between motivations expressed by cow–calf operators in the sociocultural study (i.e. biodiversity preservation and sustainable management of natural resources) and outcomes from the prairie pasture experimental system. Support for grass-based systems from local institutions at the community level is necessary for the expansion of prairie pastures in Iowa and throughout the tallgrass prairie region.

Natural vegetation occurring on farms in field margins, fallow fields, ditch systems and neighboring forests, provides increased biodiversity, structural diversity, habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and can act as a protective buffer against agrochemical drift. Nevertheless, farmers frequently view these areas as non-productive and as potential sources of weeds, insect pests and diseases. Weed species richness and abundance were examined in crop fields in 2002–2003 at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems near Goldsboro, NC to determine if crop field weed infestation was associated with field margin management (managed versus unmanaged). Weed species abundance and richness were measured over two growing seasons on four occasions in crop fields along permanent transects that extended from the field edge toward the center of the field. The presence/absence of data for all plant species in the field margin was also recorded. For both margin types, managed and unmanaged, more weeds were found near the field edge than in the center of the field. Weed species richness was slightly higher in cropland bordering managed margins than in cropland along unmanaged margins. Several significant interactions led to an examination of nine dominant weed species in each field margin type and their distribution in crop fields. When all sampling dates were pooled, only 42 (40%) of 105 species identified in the field margins were observed in the crop field. Managed margins had lower species richness than unmanaged field margins—less than half the mean number of species (15 versus 6 species, respectively). Contingency table analysis did not reveal any association between plant species occurring in the margin and those found in the crop field. Furthermore, margin type and weed presence in the field margin were not effective predictors of weed occurrence in the crop field as determined by logistic regression.

As farms are consolidated into larger operations and small farms close down for economic reasons, rural areas lose ecological, social and economic functions related to farming. Biodiversity and scenic, open-vista landscapes are lost as fields are left unmanaged. Social and economic benefits such as local job opportunities and meeting places disappear. Four Swedish rural communities were examined to increase our understanding of the functions that a diverse agriculture provides and which of these are lost as farms cease operation and overall rural social capital is depleted. Workshops and interviews with village action groups and with farmers were carried out. Both groups identified key functions from farming that are important to the rural community, such as production of food and fiber, businesses and jobs, human services, local security, ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and biodiversity, and functions pertaining to quality of life. Several ways in which village action groups can support agriculture were identified that current industrial agriculture and even agri-environmental schemes fail to achieve. These include organizing local meeting places, encouraging local processing and consumption and supporting farmers in their work. We conclude that agriculture and village action groups match well in community development and that policies supporting this match would be useful.

In this study, the focus is on babyleaf products and the potentials that an increased interest in these products might bring to vegetable seed growers. Case studies on babyleaf products illustrate how consumers perceive babyleaf products and which parameters they give preference to. In addition, aspects of preference for local vegetable products were investigated. The methodological approach has been in the form of two questionnaires presented to consumers in two different chain structures, an industrialized chain (linking actors from ‘farm to fork’) and an alternative chain where organic produce is delivered to the consumers' doorstep through a box-scheme concept. The participants in the surveys were selected to identify elements that potentially could be used as a spur in innovation and development of new products in the chain and not necessarily to indicate general consumer interests. The overall conclusions are a genuine interest in babyleaf products in both approached chains. In the industrialized chain, 89% of the respondents would like more products and subsequently new niches within seed production are likely to occur. In the alternative chain, 83% of the respondents were very content with the babyleaf product they had received. In addition, these consumers display a profound preference for local products. The paper proposes that seeds and the quality of the seeds play an important role in babyleaf production and should be viewed as, not just a raw material in the chain, but also as the initial step in the babyleaf chain. Dialog among the actors in the chain is essential to meet the consumer demands from both a conventional and an organic perspective. The role of organic seed in organic vegetable productions is discussed.

Small farms in Appalachia need management options that diversify income opportunities, are adaptable to new livestock management strategies, and help maintain environmental integrity. Plantings of temperate bamboo (Poaceae), including species native to West Virginia, were established to determine the potential nutritive value for small ruminants, such as goats (Capra hircus), at different times of the year. The bamboo species we evaluated, included several Phyllostachys spp., Semiarundiaria fastuosa and Arundinaria gigantea, were able to withstand Appalachian winter temperatures and retain some green leaves even in late winter. Although small differences were evident, the nutritive value was generally comparable among species and exhibited similar trends over the season. Total non-structural carbohydrates in bamboo leaves decreased throughout the growing season, and then remained stable or increased during winter. Conversely, crude protein was relatively low in young leaves compared to late season or over-wintered leaves. Concentrations of fiber and protein were sufficient to meet the maintenance needs of adult goats. The ability of bamboo to remain green and maintain the nutritive value throughout winter suggested that it has potential as winter forage for goats in central Appalachia. As an upright browse, bamboo may reduce the exposure of goats to gastrointestinal parasites. Perennial stands of temperate bamboo could prove to be a valuable, multiple-use crop suitable for Appalachian farm operations and easily adaptable to goat production systems.

This paper reports on the latest contributions to over 20 years of research on organic food consumers. There is a general consensus in the literature on the reasons why people buy organic food. However, there is also a gap between consumers’ generally positive attitude toward organic food and their relatively low level of actual purchases. Product differentiation based on intangible features, such as credence attributes such as organic, in fast-moving consumer goods categories is enjoying rapid growth. However, there are many difficulties with research in this area, including the errors inherent in research that relies on consumer self-reporting methodologies. Further, in relation to organic food, there is a divergence between consumers’ perception of its superior health features and scientific evidence. Fresh fruits and vegetables are of vital importance to the organic sector as they are the entry point for many customers and account for one-third of sales. Further, although there is a small proportion of dedicated organic food buyers, most sales come from the majority of buyers who switch between conventional and organic food purchases. This paper identifies the practical implications for generic organic food marketing campaigns, as well as for increasing sales of specific products. It concludes with suggested priorities for further research.