Founded in 1947 by J.I. Rodale, Rodale Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to helping the regenerative organic agriculture movement grow through research, education and farmer training.
In his study of regenerative organic farming, Rodale — who came up with the term “organic” — studied Indigenous agricultural practices, including those of communities like the long-lived Hunza Peoples of Northern Pakistan.
“A lot of people credit him really with being the preeminent thinker and leader in this modern day organic movement. J.I. Rodale coined the term ‘organic’ as it’s used today. He started a nonprofit in 1947 and ironically the original name for our organization was the Soil and Health Foundation, which I find to be so profound that this man had the vision to connect soil health with human health,” CEO of Rodale Institute Jeff Tkach told EcoWatch in an interview. “Fast forward to today — 77 years later — I think we all know that there is a fundamental disconnect in our society that human beings are divorced and disconnected from their food system, from nature. And I think it’s what’s leading to a chronic health epidemic. I think that we all are recognizing that our health begins in the soil, and how we farm matters. And so J.I. Rodale was way out in front, you know, doing that work.”
Before founding the institute, Rodale was an entrepreneur who started a company with his brother in New York City.
“He came from poverty, but one of the challenges in his life was his health. He came from a lineage where his father and his uncles didn’t live past the age of 57. And when he and his brother began to accumulate enough wealth, they decided to move their business out of New York City to rural Pennsylvania and he bought a farm,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “He had never farmed a day in his life. And he just had this sense that if he could control his food and where his food came from and how his food was produced that it would have an impact on his longevity. So he bought a 40-acre farm in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, outside of Allentown, and started talking to all the experts in farming.”
J.I. Rodale. Photo courtesy of the Rodale family
After starting his farm in Pennsylvania, Rodale became curious about how the chemicals that were being used in agriculture after World War II were impacting the food people were eating.
“The representatives at the land grant universities like Penn State and Rutgers and Cornell… were all telling him about this amazing innovation in farming called chemical agriculture, [but] no one could really sufficiently answer his question around how those chemicals could yield healthy food. So he started looking to Indigenous populations,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “He was very concerned around where agriculture was headed if we stopped considering the power of nature… I think that was really his concern, that we were going to lose sight of the miracle of nature to heal us, to feed us, to nourish us in the name of innovation.”
Rodale Institute offers science programs and direct farmer support to facilitate change in food production and farming globally.
“As the birthplace of the modern Organic movement, Rodale Institute is filling the massive void of American land-grant institutions by revolutionizing farming and aiming to fix what is broken in our food system,” a press release from the institute said.
Rodale Institute co-founded the “regenerative organic” certification, which is the food industry’s highest standard. For 40 years, the institute’s farming educational and consulting programs — Farming Systems Trial — have been equipping thousands of farmers in the United States with the resources and knowledge they need to adopt regenerative organic agricultural practices.
U.S. consumer demand for certified organic products currently exceeds supply, which makes organic farming a potentially economically viable option for small and large farms.
Rodale Institute is planning to transition a million acres of farmland to regenerative organic agriculture in the next decade.
“We’ve just contracted with Organic Valley, and we’re working with a select number of their farmers to help them adopt organic practices and to do it more effectively, as well as to be able to help connect those farmers with more lucrative markets, so that they have a place to sell their crops at the highest value,” Tkach told EcoWatch.
Tkach said one of the roles Rodale Institute plays is assisting farmers with the barriers they face when transitioning to organic.
“‘Where am I going to sell my crop? How am I going to effectively embrace organic practices? How am I going to overcome pressures like weeds and pests?’ All these things that you and I don’t think about, but that farmers face every day,” Tkach said. “So Rodale is stepping in to help farmers. And in a lot of ways we’re acting as a land grant on a national scale for farmers, because our land grant system does not currently serve organic farmers. So the same challenge that J.I. Rodale faced 77 years ago, many of America’s farmers still face today.”
Rodale Institute’s philosophy is to always keep moving things forward through research and innovation.
“We pride ourselves in being an innovative organization, and even though we’re 77 years old, it feels like we’re a 77 year old startup right now because the world has finally embraced what Rodale has been espousing for a very long time,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “We see agriculture as a continuum, and we’re trying to help move farmers from conventional chemical farming down a path towards embracing better and better, healthier agricultural practices.”
Tkach said Rodale Institute helps farmers make the transition “by doing long-term science.”
“So I’m sitting today in my office, but my office is on a 400-acre farm. And when I walk out of my office, there’s research happening all over our farm,” Tkach said. “One study in particular is a 44-year study that is the longest running trial of its kind in the world, where we’re studying organic and conventional grain cropping systems, and we’re able to look at how these two ways of farming are very different and what their long-term implications are… I think the science is what sets us apart, because there’s really no other entity in North America that’s doing long-term research on organic agriculture.”
Tkach said the researchers are able to demonstrate that organic farming is not only “more ecologically sound” and better for the environment, but more profitable as well.
The Rodale Institute’s research team studies various weed management practices in their fields and in partnership with farmers. Photo courtesy of Rodale Institute
“If you want to heal the rural and the urban divide and begin investing in rural economies, our farmers are struggling in this country, they need to improve their bottom line. And organic agriculture is driving between three and six times more profits for farmers,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “Our science has proven that.”
Tkach said regenerative organic farming is not just for smaller family-owned farms, as larger farms are embracing the practices as well.
“Rodale has proven that organic regenerative organic agriculture can be scaled… Today, our national network of consultants that are Rodale employees have been called upon by some of the biggest food companies in the world,” Tkach said. “One example is General Mills. General Mills has recently hired Rodale Institute as a nonprofit to go out and work with 70 farmers in the upper Midwest that are producing oats and wheat — two of the biggest ingredients that General Mills grows.”
Tkach said the country’s need for certified organic products is outpacing its supply.
“So right now there is a greater demand for certified organic products in the United States than we can supply domestically. The U.S. is a net importer of organic food,” Tkach explained. “During this new administration I actually was in DC five weeks ago meeting with House and Senate leaders of the Ag Committee and, frankly, I received support from both sides of the aisle… So I always say that organic agriculture is for all of us. We all eat. We all want to live on a healthy planet. We all want to be healthy. And in order to do that, we need to come to grips that our current farming system is fundamentally broken. We have to transform agriculture in this country.”
“There’s something in organic that every one of us can be excited about. If you want to talk about onshoring our food system and creating a regional resilient food system, that’s what organic agriculture can do for us. If you want to talk about lowering our healthcare costs, well, it starts with what we’re eating. Food is medicine. And Rodale is saying that healthy food starts in healthy soil. And healthy soil is birthed on organic farms,” Tkach added.
Tkach said Rodale science has demonstrated that much of the world’s carbon emissions can be sequestered in the soil on organic farms.
“How we farm can actually become a carbon sink in agriculture,” Tkach said.
Rodale Institute was recently named one of the most innovative companies in the world for 2025 by the magazine Fast Company.
“I’ve actually been a reader of Fast Company for most of my adult life… It’s a magazine about innovation,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “My life was deeply touched by their content over the years… It was a huge honor… It’s kind of hilarious that a 77-year-old company is being named to that list, but it’s a testament to where we are in the world and how the innovation that we’ve been leading is finally getting recognized.”
Rodale is co-hosting the first Good Farmer Award in recognition and support of farmers who have been using organic practices for a decade or less.
“We are going to be co-hosting an award called the Good Farmer Award in partnership with our brand partner Davines… recognizing farmers that are at the early part of their journey and that are looking for some financial support,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “Some of the biggest barriers for young farmers is capital. Farming is a very capital-intensive business, and Rodale is going to be looking to honor and celebrate beginning farmers who are using organic and responsible practices, and we’re going to try to award them with some funding to help get them get their business off the ground. So we’re really excited about that.”
The first recipient of the award is Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley.
“The award recognizes outstanding farmers making positive environmental and social contributions to agriculture through regenerative organic practices,” a press release from Rodale Institute and Davines Group said. “Clarenda Stanley, founder and CEO of Green Heffa Farms in North Carolina, stood out for her commitment to economic empowerment, education, equity, and ecological stewardship.”
I asked Tkach what individuals can do to support regenerative organic farming in the U.S.
“Right now, the word regenerative is being co-opted and greenwashed by the biggest food companies in the world. When we talk about regenerative farming in and of itself, that means everything and nothing,” Tkach told EcoWatch. “But Rodale helped to co-found the newest and highest bar certification in the food industry: regenorganic.org. That is what all consumers should be supporting. They should be looking for foods that have both the USDA organic and regenerative organic label on them, and supporting those farmers and those brands, because that’s the kind of food system we’re trying to usher in.”
“Robert Rodale, the founder of the Rodale Institute’s son, actually coined the term regenerative farming in the 1970s. And he believed that we regenerate when we begin to farm in a regenerative way. We start by healing the soil, but everything else in that system improves over time,” Tkach said. “And so we’re asking consumers to participate in a better food system.”
Tkach recommended that, in addition to supporting the certifications and brands, every consumer should “get to know a farmer.”
“We all should have a relationship with someone in our community that is growing healthy food and we should support them,” Tkach said. “If you’re even more courageous and adventurous, I always tell people they should try to plant something, you know, just grow one thing, whether it’s a potted plant on your windowsill or a raised bed garden… we all should become farmers and stewards of the earth.”
“The rhythm of nature changes you. It deepens your human experience, and it makes you a better human. And I think it starts with food,” he said.
Educational materials and resources on organic farming — including free webinars and courses — are available on Rodale Institute’s website.
“If we’re talking about a win that everyone can get behind, it’s organic farming. And it’s not a polarizing topic. It’s something that we can all agree on,” Tkach said.
The post ‘The Science Is What Sets Us Apart’: How the Rodale Institute Has Spent 77 Years Innovating Regenerative Organic Agriculture appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/rodale-institute-organic-agriculture-ecowatch.html
This week’s quote is from Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the U.S., philanthropist, and environmental advocate: “Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.”
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
This poster was originally published on February 7, 2020.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Love of Nature Transcends appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-love-of-nature-transcends-jimmy-carter/
It always strikes us as amusing how many DIY projects you see online that seem to require more time and more money than it would take to simply buy the thing they’re trying to DIY in the first place. Are we missing the point?
We think that doing things ourselves and taking back the power to create instead of simply consuming is absolutely vital to the green movement. But if you don’t already have the materials and spend a lot of money purchasing craft supplies, does it really make sense to DIY?
These eight projects are true do-it-yourself masterpieces. One-of-a-kind outdoor projects you can make for almost nothing, with supplies you most likely already have or can easily pick up second hand for a song. Roll up your sleeves and let’s get started!
1. Teapot/Teacup Bird Feeder
Do you have one of Grandma’s old tea sets lying around that doesn’t quite fit into the sleek modern aesthetic you’ve been cultivating? Put it to great use by feeding the birds in your area — in style.
Thrift stores are always awash in old china, so if you don’t already have the old tea set, consider going wild and spending a few bucks for this DIY delight. You’ll find blogger Dinah Wulf’s instructions for the teacup bird feeder at DIY Inspired.
Safety note: Use sturdy twine or cord — not chain — to hang the feeder. Birds can catch their toes in chain links, which causes serious injury. The National Audubon Society also recommends cleaning seed feeders every two weeks (more often in hot, humid weather) by scrubbing with soap and water and soaking in a 50-50 vinegar-water solution to prevent the spread of avian disease.
2. Gardening Tool Storage
What on earth do you do with those rusty-as-heck, old-school garden rakes hanging around your garage? Well, if you’re any sort of DIY genius, you press them into service as a gardening tool holder.
The original inspiration for this project came from Beth Logan at Artstuff Ltd., whose blog has since gone offline. For a current walkthrough, see the Repurposed Rake Tool Rack tutorial at DIY n Crafts (project #14 in their roundup of 25 ways to reuse old garden tools). The concept is embarrassingly simple — remove the rake handle, mount the head tines-out on a fence or garage wall, and use the tines themselves as hooks for trowels, gloves, and pruners — but eye-catching enough to make you look like a DIY pro.
3. Bottle Tree
Do you like wine? No, I mean do you really like wine? Do you want a reason to drink more of it? And does your garden need a cute border? This sustainable, upcycled garden border may be just the project for you. You might have to expand your drinking list to include bottles of various shapes, sizes, and colors — but variety is the spice of life.
When friends ask how you managed to collect so many bottles, just laugh gaily and then distract them with your dainty teacup bird feeder. The bottle tree tradition itself runs deep — Mississippi garden writer Felder Rushing traces the practice back through African American Southern folk art and, by his own research, as far as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. See his bottle tree gallery and history for inspiration, or jump straight to his how-to guide for building one out of a cedar snag, rebar, or just about anything else.
4. Colorful Outdoor “Tiles”
If your backyard isn’t perfectly landscaped and manicured, with an impeccably tiled “outdoor living space,” don’t despair. You can use up all those half-empty paint cans and create a Pinterest-worthy colorful backdrop for evenings spent clustered around a fire or barbecue.
Pop a few coats of paint on cement tiles and you have a one-of-a-kind flooring solution. If you rent, the same effect could be achieved on a more temporary basis by letting the kids go wild with sidewalk chalk and create a mosaic masterpiece. Check out Elsie’s Painted Patio Tiles at A Beautiful Mess for the back story on this DIY idea. (Heads up: the original author noted she had to touch up the paint each spring in Missouri winters — a porch and patio floor enamel will hold up better than wall paint.)
5. Home Sweet Gnome
Okay, this one might be the least practical idea of the bunch, but that may be why I love it oh so much. If you have a stump in your backyard and you’re not willing or able to pay the truly insane amount it costs to have it ground down and removed, how about making it into a little gnome home? This is the perfect outdoor project if you have small children in your life.
Construct the trappings of a little house — door, windows, winding garden path — from found objects or natural materials, and affix them to the stump. Bonus points if you don’t tell the kids about this particular DIY project and allow them to simply stumble upon it one day in the garden. My mind would have been blown if I had come across one of these as a seven-year-old. For a step-by-step build, see this Gnome Tree Stump Home tutorial on Instructables.
Safety note: Don’t use an angle grinder to gouge windows or doors into a stump. Use a chisel and mallet for shallow detail work, or attach decorative pieces (driftwood, bark, polymer clay) to the outside instead.
6. Mosaic Stepping Stones from Broken China
Every household eventually accumulates a small graveyard of chipped mugs, a single survivor from a four-piece dinner set, or a beloved teapot with a hairline crack. Rather than tossing them — broken ceramics generally aren’t accepted in curbside recycling — embed them in concrete stepping stones for a garden path that’s genuinely one of a kind.
This pairs beautifully with the teacup project above: any teacups that don’t make it past Project #1 (you will break a few) can come back as paving. The DIY mosaic stepping stones tutorial at Gardening.org walks through the full process — breaking ceramics safely inside a drop cloth, sizing pieces to half-inch to one-inch fragments, pressing them into wet concrete, and sealing the surface so sharp edges don’t cause injury underfoot. Basic mold options include an old cake pan, a plastic plant saucer, or a purpose-built stepping stone form from a craft store.
Safety note: Wear safety glasses and heavy gloves when breaking ceramics. Once cured, run a finger over the surface to check for protruding edges and file or sand any down before placing the stone where bare feet might land.
7. Vertical Pallet Herb Garden
Shipping pallets are one of the world’s most abundant near-free materials. Small businesses, garden centers, and feed stores often have stacks of them out back, and asking politely beats the alternative of seeing them landfilled. Mounted vertically against a sunny wall or fence, a pallet becomes a stacked planter that holds enough herbs to keep a kitchen in basil, thyme, parsley, and chives all season.
Grit Magazine published a clear how-to for a vertical pallet planter — line the back and sides with landscape fabric or heavy plastic to hold soil, fill through the slats, and plant each gap as its own row. The gaps act as natural divisions, so different herbs don’t fight for the same root space.
Safety note: Use only heat-treated pallets for anything edible. Look for the IPPC stamp with the letters HT (heat treated) and avoid any stamped MB (methyl bromide — a fumigant restricted under the Montreal Protocol). Unstamped pallets are unknowns; skip them for food crops. The same heat-treated pallets are fine for ornamental flowers either way.
8. Punched Tin Can Lanterns
Steel food cans — soup, tomato, coffee — are one of the most recyclable materials on Earth, but the recycling-then-buying-something-decorative loop has plenty of slack in it. With nothing more than a hammer, a few nails of varying sizes, and the freezer, an empty can becomes an outdoor lantern that throws constellation patterns across a patio at dusk.
HGTV’s tin can lantern tutorial covers the trick that makes this project work: fill the can with water and freeze it solid before punching, so the ice supports the can wall and prevents denting. Sketch your pattern on paper, tape it to the frozen can, punch through with a nail at each marked dot, and let the ice thaw. Drop in a battery tealight (much safer outdoors than a real flame) and group them along a walkway or down the center of an outdoor table.
The Point of All This
None of these projects requires you to buy more than a tube of waterproof adhesive, a bag of concrete, or maybe a stepping stone mold. The materials — chipped china, leftover wine bottles, empty cans, a forgotten pallet, an old rake — are already in your house or someone else’s. That’s the point. The greenest project is the one that uses what already exists, and the best part is that yours will look like nobody else’s.
Editor’s Note: This article, originally authored by Madeleine Somerville on June 17, 2015, was updated with corrected links and new ideas in May 2026.
The post Outdoor Projects You Can DIY for Almost Nothing appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/diy/outdoor-projects-you-can-diy-for-almost-nothing/
More than half the world’s population—4.4 billion people—live in cities today. That number is expected to rise to 80% by 2050. Our guest, Nadina Galle, is a trailblazing ecological engineer and author of The Nature of Our Cities. She is an ecological engineer who studies the intersection of nature and technology in urban environments. Nadina developed the concept of an Internet of Nature (IoN) that uses tools like artificial intelligence, automation, and sensors to support and enhance ecosystems within cities. Nadina’s book offers a transformative perspective on how urban spaces can be reimagined in the face of climate change and sprawling development. She shares the inspiring story of the Groene Loper project in Maastricht, Netherlands, where soil sensors were deployed to monitor tree health. The results were remarkable, with trees supported by this technology growing up to three times larger than those without it. This is a powerful example of how technology can not only protect trees but also transform urban spaces into healthier, greener environments.
From fire and the wheel to the reinforced concrete frames that define modern buildings, we are surrounded by technology. We tend to forget that technology emerged in response to nature — too often, we treated nature as the enemy, the chaos to be contained instead of recognizing that nature’s cycles and changes are the harmony we need to join to sustain society. The loss of any semblance of natural patterns, which ultimately leads to the depletion of the resources necessary for life, has inevitably led to the collapse of previous major civilizations. Modern society has more runway than previous societies because we have created a global economy, but that risks an even greater fall for our species when the ecological underpinnings of our prosperity collapse. The Nature of Our Cities, is a powerful, straightforward, and emotionally resonant book to help you think through your role and choices in the restoration of nature. You can find it on Amazon or Powell’s Books.
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Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired in December 2024.
The post Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Author Nadina Galle on The Nature of Our Cities appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-nadina-galle-on-the-nature-of-our-cities/
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