News & Resources

VABF Tips: Fabric Grow Bag to SIP: Three Easy Steps VABF News

VABF Tips: Fabric Grow Bag to SIP: Three Easy Steps

I hope you will excuse me, but I start this article off with an assumption!…

Mark Schonbeck MarkMarch 14, 2018

Recipes: Dandelion Salad, Cookies, and Maple Mushroom Martinis Recipes

Recipes: Dandelion Salad, Cookies, and Maple Mushroom Martinis

The inspiration for this month’s recipes come from the tastes of late winter when the…

Mark Schonbeck MarkMarch 14, 2018

March Gardening Tips: Planting and Transplanting Garden Tips

March Gardening Tips: Planting and Transplanting

March is the perfect time to sow radishes. They're quick and easy to do right…

Mark Schonbeck MarkMarch 14, 2018

Agricultural Policy: Special Opportunity to Build a Better Farm Bill Policy

Agricultural Policy: Special Opportunity to Build a Better Farm Bill

Call your Representative today! The House Agriculture Committee is drafting its proposed 2018 Farm Bill…

Mark Schonbeck MarkMarch 14, 2018

February Garden Tips: Tips from a Master Gardener Garden Tips

February Garden Tips: Tips from a Master Gardener

F is for February and flats.  In early February, be sure you have all your…

Mark Schonbeck MarkFebruary 14, 2018

Book Review: The Bio-integrated Farm Book Reviews

Book Review: The Bio-integrated Farm

by Shawn Jadrnicek This book was hidden in my "to read" pile for too long!…

Mark Schonbeck MarkFebruary 14, 2018

Agricultural Policy Updates: February 2018 Policy

Agricultural Policy Updates: February 2018

Farm Bill 2018 Action It’s Farm Bill season, and there are a lot of good…

Mark Schonbeck MarkFebruary 14, 2018

Recipe: Grass-fed Red Poll Steak with Georgia Green Collards, Squash Soup and Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Manhattan Recipes

Recipe: Grass-fed Red Poll Steak with Georgia Green Collards, Squash Soup and Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Manhattan

I always leave the VABF conference inspired by the awesome energy I get from spending…

Mark Schonbeck MarkFebruary 14, 2018

Recipe: VABF-style Oven Roasted Sausages with Root Vegetables, Mushrooms, and Herbs Recipes

Recipe: VABF-style Oven Roasted Sausages with Root Vegetables, Mushrooms, and Herbs

The versatility and simplicity of this recipe make it an easy meal to enjoy.  Not…

Mark Schonbeck MarkJanuary 11, 2018

January Gardening Tips: Garden Planners & Tools Garden Tips

January Gardening Tips: Garden Planners & Tools

The steadily growing stack of new seed catalogs are a reminder that now is good…

Mark Schonbeck MarkJanuary 11, 2018

Book Review: The Market Gardener, by Jean-Martin Fortier, New Society Publishers, 2014 Book Reviews

Book Review: The Market Gardener, by Jean-Martin Fortier, New Society Publishers, 2014

Jean-Martin Fortier is one of the rock stars of small-scale organic vegetable farming, and he…

Mark Schonbeck MarkJanuary 11, 2018

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Meets in Washington, DC to Advocate for a Better Farm Bill Policy

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Meets in Washington, DC to Advocate for a Better Farm Bill

On January 21-24, representatives of the 100+ member organizations of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition…

Mark Schonbeck MarkJanuary 11, 2018

December Gardening Tips: Review and Plan Garden Tips

December Gardening Tips: Review and Plan

December is a good time to review your last year's garden and plan for the…

Mark Schonbeck MarkDecember 13, 2017

Book Review: The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms Book Reviews

Book Review: The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms

by Amy Stewart, Algonquin Books, 2004 The Earth Moved is an easy read, fascinating, amusing,…

Mark Schonbeck MarkDecember 13, 2017

Tomatoes: Organic Production in Virginia Articles and Research

Tomatoes: Organic Production in Virginia

VABF AdminNovember 30, 2017

VABF Forming Policy Committee – Volunteers Sought VABF News

VABF Forming Policy Committee – Volunteers Sought

The VABF Board of Directors is undertaking to build a policy team to better cover…

Mark Schonbeck MarkNovember 17, 2017

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases Farm Bill Platform Policy

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases Farm Bill Platform

Mark Schonbeck has worked over 30 years as a researcher, consultant, and educator in sustainable and…

Mark Schonbeck MarkNovember 17, 2017

Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Jelly Recipes

Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Jelly

Makes 4 to 8-ounce jars Water 1-¼ cups dry white wine ¼ cup minced garlic…

Mark Schonbeck MarkNovember 16, 2017

Garden Tips For November: Slow Down and Prepare the Garden for Winter Garden Tips

Garden Tips For November: Slow Down and Prepare the Garden for Winter

Make sure all your frost-tender crops have been harvested and your hardy greens are mulched…

Mark Schonbeck MarkNovember 16, 2017

Book Review: The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables: More In-Depth Lean Techniques for Efficient Organic Production Book Reviews

Book Review: The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables: More In-Depth Lean Techniques for Efficient Organic Production

Ben Hartman, Chelsea Green, $29.95, publication November 2017 When I read Ben Hartman's first book,…

Mark Schonbeck MarkNovember 16, 2017