Organic Production Resources
SaskOrganics Resources
Abundance ‘Sustain’ Articles
Abundance Magazine, SaskOrganics’ quarterly publication features a ‘Sustain’ article in each issue, highlighting different agronomic topics. We have compiled each Sustain article here, latest to oldest:
- Pathogens and Disease in Organic Field Crops: An Interconnected View-Issue 32-Summer 2024
- Grasshoppers and their Control in Organic Production-Issue 31-Spring 2024
- Cover Crops in Organic Production-Issue 30-Winter 2024
- A Systems Approach to Organic Agricultural Production-Issue 29-Fall 2023
- Earlier Seeding of Cereal Crops Means Higher and more Reliable Yields-Issue 28-Summer 2023
- Is Smart Technology Smart for Organic Agriculture?-Issue 27-Spring 2023
- Growing Organic Forage Crops-Issue 26-Winter 2023
- Narrowing the Organic and Conventional Crop Yield Gap–Issue 25-Fall 2022
- Intercropping of Pulse and Oilseed to Enhance Crop Yield and Improve Nutrient Use Efficiency-Issue 24-Summer 2022
- Buckwheat: A Short Season Crop to Add to Your Organic Production: Issue 23–Spring 2022
- How to Successfully Introduce Specialty Crops to your Organic Crop Rotation: Issue 22-Winter 2022
- Growing Organic Flax in Saskatchewan: Issue 21-Fall 2021
- Growing Organic Dry Beans in Saskatchewan: Issue 20-Summer 2021
- Growing Organic Cereal Crops in Saskatchewan: Issue 19-Spring 2021
- Protecting the Integrity of Organic Crops Through Effective Use of Buffer Zones: Issue 18-Winter 2021
- Organic Producers Need to Grow More Pulses and Often: Issue 17-Fall 2020
- Regenerative Organic Certification: Issue 16-Summer 2020
- Improving Biodiversity in Organic Cropping Systems: Issue 15-Spring 2020
- Soil Sampling and Testing: Issue 14-Winter 2020
- Canada Thistle Management: Issue 13-Fall 2019
- Replacing Summer Fallow with Cover Crops: Issue 12-Summer 2019
- DIY On-Farm Research: Issue 11-Spring 2019
- Crop Rotation: Issue 10-Winter 2018
- Grain Drying and Storage: Issue 9-Fall 2018
- Improving Soil Health: Issue 8-Summer 2018
- Intercropping: Issue 7-Spring 2018
Webinar Recordings
Some of our past webinar recordings can be found for free on our YouTube playlist!
Grain Marketing Resources
- Past organic grain markets webinars on our YouTube playlist.
- Information document to help producers navigate organic grain contracts.
Agronomists/Agrologists
In 2023, SaskOrganics put together a list of some Agronomists and Agrologists that are familiar, trained, and or experienced in working with organic producers. View list here.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Crops and Irrigation Branch has compiled valuable resources on various aspects of organic production:
- Organic Crop Insect Management
- Organic Crop Production Disease Management
- Organic Crop Production Fertility
- Organic Crop Production Soil Conservation Practices
- Organic Crop Production Weed Management
- Organic Production of Horticulture Crops
- On-Farm Experimentation
Pivot & Grow
From fact sheets, to production videos, to podcasts, this site has lots of helpful info to assist organic producers, or producers who are thinking about transitioning to organic production. https://www.pivotandgrow.com/
In January of 2023, Dr. Martin Entz from the Natural Systems Agriculture Department of the University of Manitoba led a five-part Organic Agronomy series online, with sessions including: Nutrient Management, Seeds and Seeding, Tillage and Weed Control, Insect and Disease Management, and Soil Health. You can access the recordings and modules here!
University of Manitoba’s Natural Systems Agriculture Department
The Natural Systems Agriculture website is produced by a team of researchers and students in the Plant Science Department at the University of Manitoba. This team includes professors, graduate students, undergraduate students, technicians, research associates and a very helpful group of collaborating farmers. The research work conducted by their team includes both long-term and short-term studies. Their field studies include the Glenlea crop rotation study, Canada’s oldest organic vs conventional study and the Organic Crops Field Laboratory at Carman, Manitoba.
Visit their website for studies on a number of topics in organic production, or their YouTube page where you can watch field tours, coffee shop talks with an agronomist, equipment demos and more!
Swift Current Research & Development Centre-AAFC Research
Dr. Myriam Fernandez leads the Organic Research Program at the Swift Current Research & Development Centre. The first projects in the program were initiated in 2008 and their important research continues today, providing invaluable data and information for organic producers in Saskatchewan.
- Organic & Low-Input Field Day Program–July 27, 2023
- Biocontrol agents show promise against fungal diseases-Top Krop Manager-March 2023
- Handout for the 2022 Organic and Low-Input Field Day, co-hosted by the Organic Research Program at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre (SCRDC), SaskOrganics, and Advisory Committee on Organic Research for SCRDC
- Designing intercrops for organic systems-Top Krop Manager- June 2022
- Presentations from Organic Research Zoom Meeting, December 15 2021
- Companion Cropping in SW Manitoba– Scott Chalmers, Diversification Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture
- Organic Chickpea Research-Perry Miller, Cropping Systems Professor, Dept of Land Resource & Environment, Montana State University
- If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: Utilizing a weed’s natural traits to combat them-Sherri Roberts, Crops Extension Specialist, Weyburn, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture
- Producers are interested in more research on Intercropping – Prairie Oat Growers’ Association Newsletter – June 2021
- Root disease and fungal populations in organic crops under different tillage and cropping systems – summary of manuscript – June 2021
- Economics of organic diversified cropping strategies – Top Crop Manager, Digital Edition – July 2021
- Impact of tillage timing and intensity on weeds under organic management in the Brown Soil Zone -Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Disease pressure in intercrops grown under organic management – Top Crop Manager – June 2021
- Perennial weed control in organic rotations – Top Crop Manager – April 2020
- Fusarium head blight in organic cereal crops – Sustainable organic crop production alternatives for disease control (and Biocontrol for Fusarium pathogens) – Top Crop Manager – June 2020
- Science seeks to solve FHB… ASAP – Alberta Wheat Commission – January 2020
- Crop Production and Environmental Impacts under Organic Management with Reduced Tillage and Diversified Cropping. Crops & Soils Magazine, V 53, Issue 1, January–February 2020.
- Intercropping – Matching crops for better results – Some combos work better than others – GrowPro Magazine – December 2019
- Field day will highlight organic research at Swift Current Research and Development Centre – Prairie Post – July 2019
- Proceedings of the 2018 Organic and Low-Input Agricultural Systems Field Day: Proceedings from a field day at the Swift Current Research & Development Centre, with field presentations on various organic and low-input trials including intercropping, cover cropping, water and soil conserving tillage, allelopathic cover crops and more.
- Intercropping study reveals benefits – Western Producer – May 2018
- The allelopathy effect: how it can benefit organics – Western Producer – May 2018
- Assessing disease resistance-Top Krop Manager-April 2017
- For the presentation on “New findings from the Intercropping Research at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre”, please contact Myriam Fernandez at myriam.fernandez@agr.gc.ca, tel. 306-750 7796.
Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
OACC facilitates and leads research and education supporting organic producers, consumers and other organic stakeholders to foster sustainable communities.
The Organic Science Clusters are industry-supported research and development endeavors initiated by the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at Dalhousie University in collaboration with the Organic Federation of Canada. The Organic Science Clusters are supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and many organic sector partners.
There have been two completed Organic Science Clusters, the first running from 2009-2013 and Organic Science Cluster II running from 2013-2018. Organic Science Cluster III is in progress from 2018- 2023.
AAC Oravena oat variety was developed through the Organic Science Cluster program. AAC Oravena is a white-hulled spring oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar selected and developed under organic management. AAC Oravena yields well under organic and conventional production systems, compared to check cultivars. AAC Oravena has good milling quality. AAC Oravena was registered (Reg. No. 7561) by the Variety Registration Office, Canada Food Inspection Agency, on 3 July, 2014. Access to the published paper can be found here. It should be available from Fedoruk Seeds in 2021 or 2022.
- Organic Science Canada Magazine
- Resources for Organic Agriculture in Canada
- Green Manure Factsheets from Eastern Canada: View here and here.
Canadian Organic Growers
From publications, research, guides to the organic standards, to news and events, Canadian Organic Growers (COG) has a variety of resources for organic and transitioning to organic producers. Visit their website here.
Other Resources
- Inherent P Supplying Ability of Organically Managed Soils: Prepared by the University of Saskatchewan, Funded by the Agriculture Development Fund
- Intercropping Field Pea Varieties for Organic Production: Prepared by the University of Saskatchewan, Funded by the Agriculture Development Fund
- Evaluation of Novel Crops as Green Manures in Organic Agriculture: Prepared by the University of Saskatchewan, funded by the Agriculture Development Fund
- Evaluation of Soil Amendments for Increasing Nutrients in Organic Farming: Prepared by the University of Saskatchewan, funded by the Agriculture Development Fund
- Organic/Pesticide-free Higher Value Vegetable Crops: Sustainable Production, Maintain Quality and Extend Shelf-life: Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, Funded by the Agriculture Development Fund
- Weed Management for Organic Farmers: Literature review by Brenda Frick
- Enviroscan – Research & Extension Resources for Organic Farmers: Prepared for the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative (POGI)