Rodale Institute is located on a 333-acre organic certified farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The entire farm is devoted to research, education and certified organic production. The farm is perhaps best known for its Farming Systems Trial (FST), the longest-running U.S. experiment specifically designed to compare organic and conventional farming practices. FST was established in 1981 and attracts interest from scientists, farmers and lay visitors from around the world.

In addition to the research experiments, the farm’s production and demonstration areas offer visitors an opportunity to learn how agriculture can either contribute to environmental problems or be a significant solution in solving global warming, improving human nutrition and preventing famine throughout the world.

Rodale Institute has an informative page that addresses global warming. Rodale Institute research shows that organically managed soils can store (sequester) more than 1,000 pounds of carbon per acre, while non-organic systems can cause carbon loss. For consumers, this means that the simple act of buying organic products can help to reduce global climate change.

Success is relative: when backyard gardens beat industrial food
The majority of agricultural value in Russia (and 90 percent of total potato production) comes from backyard gardens, finds Dr. Leonid Sharashkin in his recent dissertation on the cultural and socioeconomic significance of gardening in Russia. This is encouraging news, since the Russian growing season is only 110 days long. Think of the possibilities in more hospitable climates! Full story: Energy Bulletin