Crop-Livestock Integration in Organic Produce Crops: Its Impacts on Food Safety & Soil Health

Wednesday, July 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am Pacific

Join The Organic Center when we convene researchers from Minnesota, California, and Maryland as they present their findings on the impacts of cover-crop grazing on food safety and soil health for fresh spinach and cucumbers in organic systems. This webinar will provide attendees with an understanding of how grazing of cover crops in fresh vegetable production systems can be implemented in 3 different climates: humid coastal, humid continental, and semi-arid. This work has been completed through funds from a USDA-ARS grant* in collaboration with The Organic Center, University of California, University of Minnesota, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and USDA-ARS.

• During the webinar, you'll learn:
• An overview of this collaborative research project
• About the benefit of safe integration of livestock in cover-crop production for all stakeholders, including the produce and livestock industry, and consumers 
• A better understanding of nutrient cycling and soil health benefits to support sustainable cropping outcomes
• Cover crop and grazing strategies for adequate wait periods for increased food safety of produce in integrated-livestock cover and specialty crop production

Open to all

* Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant # 19-1046-001-SF. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Esteemed Speakers:

• Dr. Amber Sciligo, PhD, Director of Science Programs | The Organic Center (facilitator)
• Alda Pires, DVM, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM, Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension | UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine 
• Dr. Sejin Cheong, PhD candidate Epidemiology | UC Davis, Pires Lab
• Sequoia Williams, PhD student Soils and Biogeochemistry | UC Davis, Gaudin Lab
• Emily E. Evans, Researcher 3 | University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

• Dr. Amélie Gaudin, PhD, Associate Professor of Agroecology | UC Davis, Department of Plant Sciences (Q&A Panelist)

• Dr. Fawzy Hashem, PhD, Research Associate Professor | University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Q&A Panelist)

Learn more about the work of this project here.