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Rodale Institute is a non-profit organization that supports research into organic farming. It was founded in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in 1947 by J. I. Rodale, an organic living entrepreneur. After J.I. Rodale died in 1971, his son Robert Rodale purchased 333 acres and moved the farm to Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Rodale Institute uses a long-term, side-by-side research trial model to compare organic and conventional agriculture. Its longest running experiment, the Farming Systems Trial, has been running since 1981 and compares organic and conventional corn, soybeans, and other grains. The institute also researches the effects of growing food without chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on human health, water quality, climate change, and more.[1]
Collaborations with farmers and agricultural science peers throughout the nation and world enable institute researchers to replicate experiments across different geographical regions and benefit farmers with opportunities to test new approaches to organic production. The institute allies with national and state-level organic certification programs, industry leaders and elected officials to help shape policy. The institute also partners strategically with U.S. and foreign government entities, businesses, and organizations to promote regenerative organic farming opportunities and to expand the benefits of organic agriculture to more people.