Research takes root at Pocono Organics
By Dr. Arash Ghale, RI-POC Research Director
For 75 years, Rodale Institute has been a leader in researching the impact of regenerative organic agriculture. With the establishment of the Rodale Institute Pocono Organic Center at Pocono Organics (RI-POC), for the first time this research is focused specifically on the Pocono Mountain region.
The RI-POC was established in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5b [-15°F to -10°F/-26.1°C to -23.3°C] with three main goals:
1. Increase number of acres in organic production in the Northeast
2. Increase crop diversity across the Northeast region
3. Make Pennsylvania the leading state in the US in regenerative organic hemp production
The main focus of the research at RI-POC will be on regenerative organic industrial hemp production and processing, vegetables and high-value specialty crops, integrated pest management for regenerative organic systems, food production under agrivoltaic systems & precision agriculture and new technologies in organic farming systems.
We hope that this research will serve to underscore the impact of conventional field management on human and ecosystem health. Developing new ecologically sound techniques through sharing innovative ideas and conducting research with the aim of replacing the conventional food production approaches is a method to reduce the ecological footprint of agricultural practices, a new paradigm that our changing society desperately needs.
As one of over a dozen Ph.D. scientists employed by Rodale Institute, I ask residents of the Poconos and beyond to visit Rodale Institute research sites and communicate with researchers, share ideas, and let scientists know about your concerns and the most important challenges that you face in your agroecosystems. Communication between researchers and growers is a key to guarantee the success and achieve the goals at RI-POC.
Pocono Organics, with more than 10 acres land dedicated to research, over 38,000 sq.ft greenhouse area and about 25 acres of solar field has created a wonderful opportunity for scientists to perform research and to create a demonstration site to share the results of our research with growers and other people that care about sustainability and resiliency in ecosystems.
I am excited to watch the research capacity of this site continue to grow, and I welcome the Poconos community to get to know us better.
Dr. Arash Ghale is Research Director for the Rodale Institute- Pocono Organic Center. Arash is an Agroecologist with research interests in the field of sustainable agriculture and crop diversification. His professional goal is to promote sustainable agriculture through the implementation of cost-effective changes striving towards holistic and ecologically sound management of crop production.