Problems with Repackaged Synthetic Nitrogen in Organic Agriculture.

Organic production of high-value, high-input crops like cool-season vegetables (e.g., lettuce and broccoli) and strawberries rely on large amounts of off-farm nutrient inputs like nitrogen that originates primarily from conventional farms.  These inputs are used to produce high-quality yields and help farms remain profitable.  This 5 minute, thought-provoking video presentation will use examples from long-term, systems research in the ‘Salad Bowl of America’  (Salinas, California) to highlight some serious sustainability challenges in organic production systems with an emphasis on nutrient management.  It will propose a way forward that may require some radical changes in the USDA National Organic Program regulations to potentially improve the sustainability of these high-input, tillage intensive organic systems.