This library includes resources developed in partnership with the Indiana USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Indiana’s Urban Soil Health Program. The Indiana USDA-NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) is a library of resources that NRCS and Indiana partners use to conservation plan and contains practices in addition to those captured in the Soil Health Guide.
Urban Agriculture & Farming Background
Urban Agriculture
Urban Agriculture Tool Kit USDA 2016 (pdf) - The USDA toolkit covers the common operational elements urban farmers must consider when starting or growing their operations. It identifies technical and financial resources available from federal, state, and local partners that support a variety of activities.
Urban Agriculture USDA National Agriculture Library (website)
Urban Agriculture USDA (website)
EPA Urban Agriculture US EPA 2022 (website)
Urban Growers USDA (website)
Urban Farming USDA NRCS 2017 (video)
Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm SARE 2023 (pdf)
Urban Soils
Urban Soils USDA NRCS (website)
Urban Soil Primer USDA NRCS 2005 (pdf)
Urban Soil Management for Climate Resilience Tree People 2023 (pdf)
Conservation Practices / Soil Health
NEW! Top 10 Small Farm Conservation Practices (for digital viewing) Urban Soil Health 2024 (pdf)
NRCS Resources for Urban and Small Scale Farms USDA NRCS (pdf)
Basics of Urban Soil Health NRCS National Soil Health Division 2024 (pdf)
Conservation Practices for Soil Health in Urban and Small Scale Agriculture NRCS National Soil Health Division 2024 (pdf)
4 Principles of Soil Health series No-Till Growers and SARE 2022 (videos)
Site Evaluation
Site Evaluation for Urban Soil Health NRCS National Soil Health Division 2024 (pdf)
Web Soil Survey USDA 2019 (website)
Soil Health Assessment NRCS (website)
Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment NRCS 2019 (pdf)
Soil Quality Indicator Sheets
Urban Soil Health Evaluation - Indiana Purdue Extension and partners 2020
Vegetable Production
Purdue Extension Gardening Bulletins
Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W)
Home Gardener’s Guide (HO-32-W)
The Fall Vegetable Garden (HO-66W)
And many more!
ISDA & Purdue University – Indiana Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Calendar (pdf)
Reduced-Till / No-Till
No-till vegetables: harnessing the power of cover crops No Till Veggies 2017 (website)
No Till Growers 2023 (website)
Common Tools - Small Farms / Gardens Urban Soil Health 2023
Crop Rotation
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms SARE 2020 (pdf/book) - This manual provides an in-depth review of the applications of crop rotation-including improving soil quality and health, and managing pests, diseases, and weeds.
Appendix 3 discusses sources of inoculum for crop diseases in the Northeastern United States.
Appendix 2 discusses crop sequence problems and opportunities
Why Rotate Crops? – How Expert Farmers Manage Crop Rotations
Managing Cover Crops Profitably NRCS 2007 (pdf/book) - Chapters on the role of cover crops in broader topics such as crop rotations, pests and conservation tillage.
Purdue University Plant and Pest Diagnostics Lab Purdue University (website)
Crop Rotation in Organic Systems: Oregon Implementation Guide Oregon Tilth 2023 (pdf)
Crop Planning Example Template Frith Farm, Daniel Mays
Marion County SWCD Demonstration Garden Crop Rotation Template – This is a google sheet containing the crop rotation of the SWCD demo garden. This crop rotation can be downloaded and adjusted to fit your own garden, crops, and context.
Crop Sequence Examples - 3 Indiana Farms Urban Soil Health 2022
Mulching
USDA-NRCS Mulching for Small Farms and Gardens (pdf) – Technical document that provides details on mulching, types of mulches, and their uses on small farms and gardens.
Indiana Mulching Tool – Small Farms and Gardens (excel) – NEW! – This spreadsheet tool assists conservation planners, farmers, and gardeners in planning mulching on small farms and gardens.
Cover Crops
USDA-NRCS Indiana Cover Crop Overview for Small Farms and Gardens (pdf)
Cover Crop Seeding Methods for Small Farms and Gardens (pdf)
Cover Crop Seeding Windows from Indiana Cover Crop Tool (pdf)
Terminating Cover Crops in a No-Till Garden (YouTube presentation)
Indiana Cover Crop Tool for Small Farms and Gardens (Excel Workbook) – Tool to assist with designing cover crop seed mixes for small-scale areas and determine seeding rates. The tool provides results in pounds and ounces per square feet of garden.
Indiana Cover Crop Tool – Training Video (YouTube) – An approximate 20 minute training video on how to use the Indiana Cover Crop Tool workbook.
Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) Cover Crop Decision Tools (online)
Nutrient Management
Indiana Nutrient Management Tool - NEW! Excel-based calculator to assist with soil test records, fertilizer recommendations and application rates of fertilizers, compost and other fertility products for the more commonly grown vegetables and produce found in Indiana.
Nutrient Management Plan for Organic Systems - Excellent resource and tables for amendments, composts, and manures. This guide was created for the western states, but the information can be valuable for Indiana growers.
Nutrient Recommendations for Vegetable Crops in Michigan - A great resource from our neighbors to the north
Michigan State University - Fertilizer Recommendation Program - Enter soil test data and obtain fertilizer recommendations
Tarping
Tarping, Cornell University
Bulletin #1075, Tarping in the Northeast: A Guide for Small Farms, University of Maine, New Hampshire, and Cornell
High Tunnels /
Low Tunnels
Purdue University HO-296 Indiana High Tunnel Handbook - This resource describes: selecting the right size and type of high tunnel for your operation, choosing a site location, constructing a high tunnel, determining planting dates, laying out beds, spacing plants, understanding environmental factors, monitoring soil health, and managing pests and diseases.
High Tunnels and Other Season Extension Techniques SARE 2016 (pdf)
Scheduling Fall and Winter Vegetable Production HO-330 - This publication provides abundant, detailed guidance on scheduling vegetable crops for winter high tunnel production. It includes a fillable scheduling form, a planting date scheduling guide, two scenarios with revenue projections, and charts and figures covering six crops. It aims to help farmers improve quality and yield and help them better match production and market demand.
Managing Environment in High Tunnels for Cool Season Vegetable Production HO-297 - In a high tunnel or hoophouse, vegetable growers can influence three crucial factors: light, temperature and relative humidity. In this publication, Purdue Extension experts discuss practical suggestions for managing the environment in high tunnels used for cool season production in the Midwest.
Water Conservation
& Irrigation
USDA-NRCS Indiana Irrigation Water Management Plan for Small Farms and Gardens
Water Recommendations for Vegetables, Utah State University
Irrigating Vegetable Crops, UMass Extension Vegetable Program
Vegetable Seed Germination and Emergence, Bayer Agronomic Spotlight
Microirrigation Pros and Cons Urban Soil Health 2022
Microirrigation Components Urban Soil Health 2022
Native Plantings for
Beneficial Insects & Pollinators
Marion County SWCD: “Native Plantings for Beneficial Insects and Pollinators”
Marion County SWCD: "Insect-Management" info and resources
Marion County SWCD: “Wildflowers for Beneficial Insects”
Marion County SWCD: “Beneficial Insects for Fruit and Vegetable Growers”
Pollinator Partnership: Indiana Specialty Crops & Pollinators - infographics
Purdue Extension: “Recommended Indiana-Native Plants for Attracting Pollinators”
Indiana Native Plant Society - Where to Buy Native Plants
Xerces Society: Farming with Native Beneficial Insects (book) - A discussion on the ecology of beneficial insects and how to increase their numbers through conservation strategies.
Xerces Society: “Pollinator Plants Midwest Region”
Xerces Society: “Checklist of Actions to Promote Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks”
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Plants database
Missouri Botanical Garden: Plant Finder
Plant calculator: determine spacing for a plug planting
Additional Resources
Soil Health Systems and Organic Resources
Carbon and nitrogen C:N (pdf) - Helpful in understanding carbon to nitrogen ratios in cropping systems
ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture (link) - Information on various topics, written by sustainable agriculture specialists
Rotational no-till and mulching systems for organic vegetable farms (webinar) - Excellent webinar by Jan-Hendrik Cropp
Climate
Permaculture, Food Forests, and Agroforestry
NACD Permaculture Report (pdf) - Marion County SWCD & Williams Creek Consulting - Design templates for urban lots
