In the midst of a precipitous decline in family farms and an industrious increase in large-scale agriculture, a back-to-basics farming movement is growing like a well-tended garden. Whether you are a supporter of local farmers at a farmers market, a member of a CSA farm, or you are simply worried about pesticides, going organic or going local has found many fans. And, while markedly more expensive...

Formed in 1998 to protect organic food standards, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) "is a grassroots non-profit public interest organization which deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability." The OCA website links to information about a wide variety of issues including Bovine Growth...

This website presents the Organic Farming Research Foundation, an organization "dedicated to promoting organic farming through funding of on-farm research and dissemination of the results." OFRF offers grants and technical support to researchers, farmers, and students interested in developing and conducting organic farming studies. The website's Grantmaking and Research section includes guidelines...

J.I. Rodale was into organic farming for many decades before it became a bit more "hip". The Rodale Institute has been doing research on organic farming versus conventional farming for over 60 years, and their website is aimed at farmers, gardeners, and the general public alike. The "New Farm" link is the online incarnation of their print publication that has been providing "farmer-to-farmer...

Since its inception over a half century ago, the Soil Association has "been working to raise awareness about the positive health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming and supporting farmers in producing natural food consumers can trust." Originally formed by a coalition of inspired scientists, nutritionists, and farmers, the Soil Association is now the leading organic farming and...

The Organic Center is a great website that focuses on the science behind organic agricultural production. Their mission is "to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society." Under the "State of Science" tab at the top of the page visitors should check out the "Hot Science" section. The articles listed...