VABF Information Sheets
Detailed information about a variety of topics in sustainable agriculture.
Asparagus: Organic Production in Virginia
Site selection, preparing the bed, asparagus beetle and other pests, diseases, first-year second-year and third-year culture, harvest, suppliers.
Caring for the Soil as a Living System
Basic information on soil makeup and structure, and systems to improve soil fertility and health.
Cover Cropping: On-farm Solar-powered Soil Building
What is a cover crop? why the are important, when to plant, how to grow and manage cover crops, seed sources.
Cover Crops for all Seasons
Cover cropping is a technique to improve soil health. This article discusses theory and strategy for growing cover crops to eliminate erosion, maximize biomass, optimize nitrogen dynamics, and minimize bare-soil periods.
How to Use a Soil Test
What a test tells you, taking the sample, mineral amendments, reading and understanding the report, avoiding pitfalls.
Lettuce: Organic Production in Virginia
Crop requirements, planting details, varieties, succession planting, pests and diseases, season extension for hot weather and cold weather, sample logbook and graph.
Onions: Organic Production in Virginia
Phases of growth, varieties, tips for success in different regions of Virginia, diseases.
Reduced Tillage and Cover Cropping Systems for Organic Vegetable Production
Organic grower’s dilemma, rationale for reduced tillage, tips for success, pitfalls, management, sod crops.
Seeders: Using Manually-operated Seeders for Precision Cover Crop Plantings
Seed plates and seeding rates, cover crops, troubleshooting, the spin seeder, beating the weeds, sources and suppliers.
Slugs: A basic understanding of the biology of slugs and their method of feeding will help growers monitor and combat these garden pests.
Tomatoes: Organic Production in Virginia
Planting, temperature and moisture requirements, staking and pruning, variety selection, season extension, diseases, pest management, weed management, hoophouse culture.
Information from Other Organizations
Co-Managing Farm Stewardship with Food Safety GAPs and Conservation Practices
from Wild Farm Alliance
This handbook helps conservation planners who work with produce growers, and the growers themselves, to co-manage food safety and conservation (see Figure 1) by understanding food safety risks in the growing environment, and by learning details of how specific management practices may reduce or increase food safety risk.
Organic Transition: A business planner for farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs
The Organic Transition Planner will walk you through the development of an actionable business transition plan that is suitable for yourself, your management team or a lender.