The Local Food Field Guide
Straight talk on labels, seasons and buying direct from the farmers who grow your food.
More topics
March 22, 2026
Aquaponics
Aquaponics combines fish farming with hydroponic plant production in a closed loop: fish waste fertilizes plants, plants clean the water for fish. It's space-efficient, chemical-free, and produces two food streams from one system.
March 22, 2026
Hydroponics
Hydroponics grows plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. It's space-efficient, controllable, and increasingly common in urban food production. It's also a departure from soil-based farming in ways worth understanding before you buy.
March 22, 2026
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM is a pest control approach that uses biology, timing, and cultural practices first — and pesticides only as a last resort. It's the standard for well-managed farms that want to reduce chemical inputs without abandoning effective pest control.
March 22, 2026
Permaculture
Permaculture is a design philosophy for farms, gardens, and land use that mimics natural ecosystems — creating productive, resilient systems that need less external input over time. It's not a single practice but a way of thinking about land.
March 22, 2026
Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture doesn't just sustain the land — it actively rebuilds it. It's the most promising shift in farming in a generation.
March 22, 2026
Rotational Grazing
Rotational grazing moves livestock through divided pastures on a schedule, letting each section rest and regrow before animals return. The result: healthier soil, denser grass, and beef that tastes different from anything feedlot-raised.