In agricultural regions, like Whatcom County, Washington, crop and dairy production co-exist, but increased agricultural specialization and intensification have divorced what was, historically, an integrated approach to production. This agricultural segregation contributes to farm, regional and watershed-scale nutrient imbalances, and several different management approaches have been devised to improve, correct and close these nutrient cycling disparities. In high-density production regions, utilizing locally produced bio-based fertilizers may provide one avenue toward closing regional nutrient loops. Technologies such as dairy-operated nutrient recovery systems may help improve the flow of nutrients between dairy and cropping systems by extracting nutrients from raw manure and producing materials that are more easily used on farms than raw manure. To evaluate the potential impact of a nutrient recovery system and its related product, we estimated nitrogen balances between cropland use and manure production within Whatcom County, Washington and examined a theoretical scenario in which a specific nutrient recovery product was utilized across the region. We considered one economic barrier, transportation cost, and calculated a hypothetical comparison for transporting nitrogen in two forms, a downstream nutrient recovery product and raw manure. The scenarios presented here demonstrate a potential gap between regional nutrient supply and demand, illustrate the tradeoffs with a technological approach, and make clear that both technological tools and practical management strategies are needed to address the challenges of redistributing nutrients in high-density production areas.

Perennial Lewis flax (Linum lewisii Pursh) has the potential to be grown as a new oilseed crop that could simultaneously meet commodity production, ecosystem service provisioning, and farm resiliency goals. Despite many potential benefits, Lewis flax remains minimally explored as an agronomic crop. Determining agronomic best practices for producing economically relevant stands of Lewis flax is critical to its adoption as an oilseed crop. Several aspects of Lewis flax agronomic production were explored through the lens of adaptive management between 2020 and 2022. Initial field trials aimed at assessing spring-seeded Lewis flax row spacing, plant population density, and intercropping strategies with legumes and grasses failed due to poor establishment. Heavy rains and excessive weed pressure further complicated attempts to reestablish these initial trials. We established additional Lewis flax plots via fall and dormant seeding in response to the failure of our first experiment. This second experiment focused on exploring row spacing, population density, and seeding timing impacts on flax production. Flax yield did not differ among our treatments, averaging 59 kg ha−1. The low yields realized by our field trials may be due to several factors including need for harvest technology optimization, high weed pressure, and need for Lewis flax genetic improvement. Our study is a first step toward developing recommendations for optimal production strategies for Lewis flax in an agronomic context. Continued exploration of methods to improve management and yield of Lewis flax will be critical to its successful development as an agronomic crop.

Intermediated markets account for two-thirds of local sales and are slowly gaining more attention. These marketing channels generally include all opportunities in the local supply chain that are not direct-to-consumer transactions, including sales to grocery stores, restaurants, regional aggregators such as food hubs, as well as schools, universities, hospitals and other institutions. The marketing chains are often regionally based and are shorter than the typical conventional food supply chain. These markets, like all other marketing opportunities, have their advantages and challenges for farmers. A set of nine papers in this themed issue explores a range of aspects of intermediated market channels, with some papers taking a broad view and others examining how farmers navigate specific markets. Together, the papers point to the potential that intermediated markets offer farmers interested in marketing their products locally and regionally, as well as reveal the entrepreneurial spirit that some of these market channels embody. While growth has been substantial and some successes evident, the papers also point to the challenges facing farmers who are trying to improve the economic situation of their farms.

Reducing adverse environmental consequences of modern industrial agriculture requires an ecological transition of agricultural practices. An important determinant of adoption of new agricultural practices by producers is the perceived profitability of these practices. The profitability of ecological agricultural practices tends to rely on improved crop prices and reduced input use. Transition to such practices often entails increased profit volatility (risk) and long-term returns (temporal profile). Ideal candidates for transition would therefore be aware of the output price and input costs dimensions of their profitability, as well as willing to assume some risks and show patience to value long-term returns. We assessed the potential for such a transition along these three dimensions (profitability, risk aversion and time preferences) in a group of soybean producers in the agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Amazon. Primary data were collected using a questionnaire and economic tests in the region of Santarém (State of Pará, Brazil). We found that, while these producers have a low-risk aversion that could favor the adoption of new ecological practices, their focus on increasing yields to enhance profits and their high discount rates considerably reduces their propensity to adopt these practices.

Alongside associated forms of socially and politically conscious food production, community food growing is routinely connected to a wide range of social and environmental benefits. However, robust evidence in support of these associations remains scant, and while the conversation has shifted in recent years to take account of the sometimes unintended or negative aspects of these activities, no consensus has been reached about how such forms of food growing should adapt to new conditions, or be scaled up to maximize their positive impacts. A July 2016 conference was organized to address this strategic shortfall. This themed issue presents the papers resulting from the conference.

Allotment gardens (AGs), one of the most popular forms of urban agriculture (UA), have attracted social attention because of the ecosystem services they provide to citizens. However, the services and availability of AGs may be unevenly distributed, owing to their geographic location. The patterns underlying the provision of AG plots and facilities to users in Tokyo are unclear. Thus, this study quantitatively examines the characteristics of different types of AG provision and their determinants in the metropolitan region of Tokyo. We classified a sample of 313 AGs gathered from governmental open data via a non-hierarchical cluster analysis of AG provision patterns based on their properties, including number of plots, plot size, contract price and duration, and facilities such as agricultural equipment and access to instructors. Moreover, we examined the influence of urban development and residential characteristics on these classes using the Kruskal–Wallis test. The analysis identifies six AG provision patterns based on their properties. It also revealed that AG provision in Tokyo was differentiated by the percentage of agricultural land and the socio-demographic characteristics of residents, including population, percentage of young population, and income levels from the city center to the suburban areas, corresponding to urban sprawl. These findings could provide valuable insights to help local governments, farmers, and non-profit organizations address the challenges and opportunities arising from each AG provision pattern and to make AG plots and facilities more adaptable to upcoming urban shrinkage, business opportunities, and possible excessive subdivision and price hikes.

A working group was held during the 2017 National Adaptation Forum to build collaborative capacity on issues related to Tribal agriculture and natural resource management in a changing climate. We developed three synthetic themes from these discussions and dialogue to highlight on-going opportunities, but also demonstrate areas for continued engagement with Tribes related to effective agricultural and natural resource management. We hope this forum demonstrates the critical importance of partnerships, and motivates further coordination and collaboration among Tribes, universities and Federal agencies.

Produce auctions are local aggregation points that facilitate access for small-scale fruit, flower and vegetable farmers to wholesale buyers from a broader geography. Buyers purchase lots from multiple farmers to fulfill wholesale demand and then retail the product to the consumers. Sales are held multiple times per week to create a consistent supply for buyers and a regular market for the farmers. With over 70 produce auctions located in eastern North America, this is a growing trend of intermediated markets. Currently, there are six active produce auctions in New York State, with two more in planning stages. Produce auctions have a positive economic impact on the communities in which they are located, as well as on those who sell and/or buy at the auction. Community values inherent to these populations contribute to the success of produce auctions as an intermediated market. As the auction market channel continues to grow, buyer and consumer education on the benefits of local auctions is important. As these auctions are based in horse-and-buggy communities, extension education needs to be tailored to Amish and Mennonite populations. Auction houses, as well as farmers, will need to stay current with federal food safety regulations and market-based requirements to remain competitive.

Systems advocating alternative agriculture would appear to be handicapped by the amount and the minutiae of human labor required. Is this really a threat to the continuity of farms associated with these systems? We do not believe that this directly hampers the survival of a farm. We advance the theory that continuity is not just down to chance; the farmer at the time chooses to prolong the life of the farm and more especially to look for a successor. We have shown through a study conducted in central France (Auvergne) that the main guarantee of organizational sustainability, that which sustains the business as a viable entity when another person takes over, is when a farmer thinks of his farm as an entity-cum-project supporting a meaningful life plan. A farmer might also see his farm solely as capital or as heritage, but neither of these last two attitudes is sufficient for him to ensure the spirit of his enterprise is passed on. There is a particularly large number of farmers in the first category (entity-cum-project) who adopt alternative farming practices, which are meaningful. It also seems to be the case that the manner of working is closely linked to the moral principles of farmers who use alternative systems. Moreover, the same objective amount of work that might be thought excessive in a system that puts strong emphasis on high productivity, is regarded as normal in an alternative system. Farmers often approach extension advisors to help reorganize their working conditions. We maintain that alternative systems have peculiarities with regard to work that make this type of advice difficult. Our aim is to help advisors clearly construct the input they give to the various types of farmers. We put forward a typology of possible practices as regards advice on work, according to assessments farmers have made about the amount of work they do and their way of working. The large number of hours devoted to an alternative farming activity and the nature of that activity, whether demanding or linked to practices thought archaic, are not always a handicap to the continuity of an alternative system. On the contrary, these features can be its hallmark.

Although research has demonstrated the positive nutritional value and environmental benefits associated with edible insect consumption, several factors challenge the growth and development of the edible insect industry for human consumption in the US and Canada. Cultural and psychological factors account for much of the aversion US and Canadian consumers display. The absence of specific regulation also constitutes a structural barrier to more widespread production and sale of edible insects. Compared to the US, the European Union has a more developed edible insect industry and has enacted legislation that removes some of the barriers. As consumer awareness of the putative health benefits of edible insects increases, more comprehensive regulations may emerge to keep pace with the growth of this industry. Overall, a multi-disciplinary approach that addresses both benefits and barriers to consumption is needed to facilitate a robust market for edible insects in the US and Canada.

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.

In all countries, the organic sector of the agricultural industry is increasing, with Europe traditionally leading this trend. A survey of different stakeholders (employers) was carried out in 2015 in seven European countries to evaluate the employment market for the organic agricultural industry in Europe. Results indicate the willingness to employ qualified graduates. From the employers' perspective, the most desirable knowledge skills among the graduates of organic agricultural studies include plant production, food quality and plant protection. Further, the study revealed the work skills most desired by the employers are practical expertise, teamwork and problem-solving, and the most important method of learning is cooperation with enterprises (internships/training) in the organic agricultural sector.

This is a tale, over 500 years in the making, of how a university–community farm collaborative research project turned corn smut into gold.

In France, hypermarkets are the main shopping sites for food products. Therefore, the food-purchasing profiles of their regular customers may be a relevant indicator of the sustainability and health potentials of consumed diets. Knowing this information can be a step to address the issue of global health. The main objective of this study was to assess the sustainability and health potential of food-purchasing behaviors among regular adult customers, with or without children, of a leading French retailer. Secondarily, the cost of a sustainable food shopping cart was evaluated as regards the regular one, as calculated in this study. Purchasing receipts corresponding to 38,168 different food products were collected during one consecutive month for each four seasons in 2019 to assess compliance with a newly developed holistic indicator of food system sustainability, i.e., the 3V rule, recommending food consumption to be ‘Vegetal’/plant-based (≈15% animal calories/day), ‘Vrai’/real (max. 15% ultra-processed food calories/day, UPF) and ‘Varié’/varied. Participants were 708 regular buyers (aged ≥18 with different socio-economic profiles, with and without children) in 122 French hypermarkets. The plant rule was based on the animal and plant origin of food ingredients, including mixed products; the ‘real’ rule was evaluated with the Siga score according to the degree of processing to identify UPFs. The varied rule was defined based on a combination of food ‘categories × families’. The effect of children and season on the purchased animal and UPF calories and on the variety index was also evaluated. Multivariate and decision tree analyses were applied to compare consumers for their 3V rule profile similarities and differences, and to look for impacts of the presence or absence of children. Customers' purchases were far from the 3V rule, with a median of 41% animal and 61% UPF calories and a median variety index of 25% (compared to the consumer with the highest index set to 100%). There was no difference in purchased animal and UPF percentages neither according to seasons nor the presence of children. However, the presence of children was associated with a higher variety index (+33%, P < 0.05). Finally, the more the consumers purchased varied, the less they purchased UPFs. Compared to the average food basket, a 3V-based basket would cost 4.6% less. To make this basket accessible to everyone and to orientate consumer's purchasing behaviors toward more sustainable and healthier products, and hence food systems, hypermarkets should promote healthy eating and reassess their food offerings.

Chemical fertilizers for boosting crop production are becoming more expensive and scarce. Green amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.) is a fast growing and highly nutritious crop, but its common use in the diet of Nigerians is constrained by its high demand for nitrogen fertilizer. Thus, there is a need to find local fertilizer materials that are readily available to peasant farmers. A preliminary field study was conducted to evaluate urine and neem (Azadirachta indica L. juss) as alternative sources for mineral fertilizers in fortifying organic fertilizer (OF) made from cow dung and market waste compost, and OF fortified with urea and bone meal [organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF)], for yield and growth of green amaranth. Fifteen treatments, based on the percentages of N supplied, were NPK15-15-15, OMF, OF, urine, neem and ten treatments of 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90% OF supplemented with a total of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10% urine or neem, respectively, to provide a total application rate of 100 kg N ha−1, with no fertilizer treatment as a control. Planting was done in two successions (main with fertilizer treatments and residual without further application). The fertilizer sources and levels had significant effects on plant height, number of leaves, stem girth, fresh weight and dry weight. The residual effects were also significant for plant height, number of leaves, total fresh and dry weights. Forty percent N urine amendment of the OF produced the highest total fresh amaranth biomass (269.3 g plot−1 main effect and 110.8 g plot−1 residual effect), which was significantly better than the values of (140 and 35.3 g plot−1, respectively) obtained with respect to OMF during main planting and NPK during residual planting. Results of our study reveal that 40% N urine fortification of OF was a viable substitute for synthetic fertilizers in production of amaranth, and that urine and neem cake can be alternatives to mineral fertilizer for crop production.

Decisions on land-use sustainability are particularly critical in fragile semi-arid regions of the world, especially those involving the social factor: people and communities. Typical of such an area is the Middle East region, especially Jordan which is beset by climatic constraints. New land-use alternatives were introduced by the Jordan Arid Zone Productivity Project (JAZPP) to improve land productivity in the arid to semi-arid (transitional Badia) land in Jordan. These alternatives were verified within experimental stations under controlled conditions. Dissemination of these findings would be successful if they suit the needs and resources of farmers. Therefore, verification of the success of these techniques under a wide range of biophysical and socio-economic conditions was necessary to judge their suitability to the target area. Various interventions were implemented on 14 sites that represent different biophysical and socio-economic conditions over the study area. With close monitoring and follow-up, successful and encouraging results were reported during the first season, even with lower rainfall than average, suggesting that these techniques were biophysically suitable for the target area. During the second season, maintenance and guarding were assigned to the farmers. Seven out of the 14 sites failed for various reasons: multiownership regime, reluctance of farmers to adopt new land use and insufficient protection and/or guarding measures. The study highlighted the importance of the farmers' comments and discussion of their specific problems and needs. This helped to improve these interventions to suit the farmers' requirements and may be important in facilitating widespread adoption and sustainability of these new land-use alternatives in the Jordanian Badia as well as in other areas of similar environment.

High yields and crop quality in organic small grain production can only be achieved through successful management of nitrogen. Experienced farmers and advisors in the Northeastern U.S. were asked to discuss the most pressing challenges in organic nitrogen management for organic small grain systems, with a particular focus on legume green manures (LGMs). Eighteen semi-structured interviews with 12 farmers and eight advisors were conducted between December 2017 and March 2018. The farmers employed a range of materials and practices for fulfilling the nitrogen fertility needs of their crops, including LGMs, animal manures and organic fertilizers. Farmers and advisors identified cost, overdependence on external nitrogen sources, nitrogen source access, diversifying rotations, weed management and predicting nitrogen mineralization of organic residues as major challenges in nitrogen management. Results indicated that cost-effectiveness in nitrogen management is essential, but that farmers consider additional factors, such as weed pressure and long-term soil health effects, when choosing nitrogen sources or practices. Legume-based nitrogen fertility is promising for small grain systems in this region, but structural challenges, such as the lack of animal agriculture proximal to grain operations, and limited cash crop markets, impede the development of diverse rotations that feature long-term legume sods. Recommendations include additional field-based research, including on-farm, participatory LGM studies as one avenue. Programming and educational outreach should focus on bolstering farmers' understanding of nitrogen mineralization of incorporated LGM residues, as well as their ability to anticipate and respond to sources of variability in LGM systems.