Nick Andrews

he/him/his

Small Farms

Contact me about organic vegetable farming questions.

971-801-0391
[email protected]

Expertise: Organic Agriculture , Soil , Vegetables and Specialty Seeds , Insects

Programs: OSU Small Farms

Locations: North Willamette Research and Extension Center

Links: OSU Organic Agriculture , Organic Fertilizer & Cover Crop Calculator , Croptime , Western Cover Crops Council

Biography

Nick Andrews is a member of OSU’s Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems. In 2020 he started serving as an OSU Organic Vegetable Extension advisor based in the Willamette Valley. Nick started with OSU Extension in 2005, and was previously an organic inspector with Oregon Tilth, orchard consultant in Hood River and vegetable entomologist in England and Scotland with ADAS. His work focuses on Organic vegetable production. Nick developed the Organic Fertilizer and Cover Crop Calculator in collaboration with Dan Sullivan and others. He is collaborating with Len Coop and other colleagues to develop Croptime, a degree-day modeling website for vegetable growers, and is also active in the new Western Cover Crops Council. Nick earned a B.S. in Horticulture from OSU in 1991, and an M.Sc. with distinction in Crop Protection from the University of Reading, UK in 1995.

Content by Nick Andrews

Winter Vegetable Production on Small Farms and Gardens West of the Cascades

The mild climate west of the Cascades allows farmers and gardeners to grow many winter-hardy crops in the field for winter and spring harvest. A wide range of alliums, leafy greens, brassicas and root crops do well. For ...

Nick Andrews, Heather Stoven, Heidi Noordijk, Kelly Streit, Brooke Edmunds, Neil Bell | Jun 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Organic farmers save money on fertilizer with OSU Extension tool

The OSU Organic Fertilizer and Cover Crop Calculator helps farmers estimate nitrogen release from cover crops and the cost of managing cover crops.

Dan M. Sullivan, Nick Andrews | Mar 2022 | Impact story

Calculator that measures nitrogen in cover crops can cut fertilizer costs

Calculating the amount of nitrogen a cover crop can add to a field can reduce the amount of fertilizer needed for a subsequent crop, which reduces costs. Here's how to make that calculation.

Nick Andrews | Feb 2021 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

OSU Extension steps up to address the needs of Oregon’s organic farms

In 2018, Extension created a half-time position for an organic vegetable Extension professor of practice, which is now held by Nick Andrews, a small crops specialist.

Nick Andrews | Jan 2021 | Impact story

Vegetable Degree-day Models: An Introduction for Farmers and Gardeners

Degree-days measure the amount of heat accumulated over time. Researchers have used years of this data to develop models that help farmers and gardeners predict harvest dates and other important events in select crops and weeds....

Nick Andrews, Leonard Coop, Heather Stoven, Heidi Noordijk, Aaron Heinrich | Jan 2021 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Extension-led effort enhances cover crops collaboration and education

In 2018, the the Western Cover Crop Council (WCCC) was formed to facilitate and enhance communication and collaboration among growers, Extension agents, researchers and other agricultural professionals.

Nick Andrews | Dec 2020 | Impact story

Estimating Plant-Available Nitrogen Release from Cover Crops

This publication assists western Oregon farmers and agricultural professionals in determining the nitrogen fertilizer replacement value of winter cover crops. Includes information on plant-available nitrogen (PAN) basics; a site-specific, ...

Dan M. Sullivan, Nick Andrews, Linda Brewer | Aug 2020 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Small Farm School boosts potential of new farmers in north Willamette Valley

Annual OSU Extension small farms event provides networking opportunities and research-based information to ensure sustainability of their farms and food operations.

Heidi Noordijk, Nick Andrews | Nov 2019 | Impact story

2019 Organic Extension Summit Report

Final report from the 2019 Organic Extension Summit held at OSU's North Willamette Research and Extension Center on April 17, 2019. 28 pages.

Nick Andrews, Anna Allen | Jul 2019 | Fact Sheet

OSU Organic Fertilizer & Cover Crop Calculator: Predicting Plant-available Nitrogen

Describes the OSU Organic Fertilizer & Cover Crop Calculator and using it to predict plant-available nitrogen.

Dan M. Sullivan, Nick Andrews, Clare Sullivan, Linda Brewer | May 2019 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Soil Nitrate Testing for Willamette Valley Vegetable Production

A soil nitrate test measures the concentration of nitrate in the soil at a specific moment in time, including nitrate originating from organic inputs, fertilizer, and soil organic matter. This publication describes how to use ...

Dan M. Sullivan, Nick Andrews, Aaron Heinrich, Ed Peachey, Linda Brewer | Jan 2019 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

OSU Mechanical Cultivation Field Day a Major Success!

Weed management consistently ranks as a high priority topic for organic vegetable growers, and yet most are not taking full advantage of the best cultivation tools available. When properly used, precision cultivation tools can ...

Clare Sullivan, Heidi Noordijk, Nick Andrews | Oct 2018 | Article

ODA Blackleg Rule and small-scale hot water seed treatment

These slides describe simple hot-water treatment methods used by Wild Garden Seed and High Mowing Seed.

Nick Andrews, Frank Morton, Tom Stearns | Apr 2018 | Presentation

Estimating Nitrogen Contribution from Cover Crops on Organic Vegetable and Cane Berry Farms

The main objective of this project was to compare on-farm measurement techniques for estimating N-contributions from cover crops using 1) separated species lab tests (a standard experimental method), 2) bulked species lab tests, 3) fresh weight, 4) dry weight and 5) canopy height and density. We also recorded relative weed biomass in different cover treatments. After the project started, collaborating growers said they were interested in predicting available N from cover crops. We used a mineralization model to compare the ability to predict plant-available nitrogen (PAN) from bulked species and separated species sampling methods.

Nick Andrews, Garry Stephenson | Apr 2018 | Fact Sheet

Protect Oregon’s Brassica Crops: ODA’s black leg rules aim to control a disease outbreak

Black leg is a serious disease of Brassica crops that has recently appeared in outbreaks in western Oregon. It threatens Brassica production in the Pacific Northwest. In an effort to manage the disease and get it back to ...

Nick Andrews | Oct 2017 | Article

Innovations Help Vegetable Growers Find that Cover Crop Niche

The benefits of cover crops are widely touted, but in the real world of farming it is often challenging to work cover crops into your rotation. Crops like late sweet corn, pumpkins and winter squash, tomatoes and peppers, ...

Nick Andrews | Nov 2016 | Article

Croptime: Scheduling Vegetables with Degree-Day Models

Endothermic “warm blooded” organisms like birds and mammals maintain relatively constant body temperatures, so their metabolic reactions and development rates are fairly consistent over time. However, body temperatures of ectothermic ...

Nick Andrews, Heidi Noordijk | Mar 2016 | Article

Biodegradable Mulch Update – New NOP Rule

Black plastic has been used horticulturally since the 1950’s to increase crop yield, control weeds, conserve soil moisture, increase soil temperature and shorten time to harvest. By 2006 black plastic was being used on 40,000 ...

Nick Andrews, Lisa DeVetter, Carol Miles | Oct 2015 | Article

Designing a Whole Farm System

Whole Farming Principles and Strategies

Maud Powell, Nick Andrews, Melissa Matthewson, Shelley Elkovich, Gwendolyn Ellen, Tim Franklin, Don Tipping | Jul 2015 | Article

Composting: Great promise that comes with challenges, is it a fit for your farm?

Compost is an excellent soil amendment that can quickly improve degraded soil. The composting process is also an excellent pest prevention strategy that can reduce weed seeds, plant and human pathogens, and other pests in raw ...

Nick Andrews | May 2015 | Article

Cover crop establishment in western Oregon vegetables

This article supplements an archived article in the fall 2010 issue of Oregon Small Farm News. That article discusses cover crop species, time of seeding and includes a table of cover crop seeding rates. Here I discuss ...

Nick Andrews | Oct 2014 | Article

No Farm Too Small

An interview with Nick Andrews with the OSU Small Farms Program at NWREC. For more information visit OSU Small Farms.

Nick Andrews | Jan 2014 | Video

Ag Water, Soil Amendments, Exemption Conditions Top List of FSMA Concerns

New federal regulations will likely bring big changes in how food is grown, harvested, packed, and processed in the U.S.; small farms and local and regional food systems will feel it too. The Food Safety Modernization Act, ...

Nick Andrews, Lauren Gwin | Jul 2013 | Article

Agricultural Composting and Water Quality

This publication addresses factors that farmers must consider when planning an on-farm composting enterprise: the composting process and its impact on water quality, site selection, facility layout and design, composting methods, and ...

Linda Brewer, Nick Andrews, Dan M. Sullivan | Jun 2013 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Using Heat Units to Schedule Vegetable Plantings, Predict Harvest Dates and Manage Crops

Temperature controls the development of many organisms that don’t have complex thermoregulatory systems. This allows us to predict the development of different organisms by accurately using development or phenology models which are ...

Nick Andrews, Leonard Coop | May 2012 | Article

Establishing Winter Cover Crops

In theory cover crops can protect soil from erosion, improve soil tilth, supply nitrogen (N), reduce weeds, provide nectar and pollen for beneficial insects, increase the winter survival of mycorrhyza, help to manage soil-borne ...

Nick Andrews | Jan 2011 | Article

Carrot Rust Fly Biology & Management

Carrot rust flies (Psila rosae) are well known to growers of carrots, parsnips, celeriac, celery and other umbelliferous crops. The adult females are attracted to the odor of the host plant, and lay their eggs at the crown ...

Nick Andrews | Dec 2009 | Article

Wireworm: Biology and Nonchemical Management in Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest

Wireworms are among the most destructive of soil insect pests. This publication explains the wireworm life cycle and describes a program for monitoring and risk assessment. Nonchemical management methods are suggested, including crop ...

Nick Andrews, Silvia I. Rondon | Dec 2008 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

What's Wrong with my Potato Tubers? Diagnosing Tuber Abnormalities in Western Oregon and Washington

Describes and illustrates (color photos) tuber damage caused by insect pests, plant diseases, and physiological disorders.

Nick Andrews, Alexandra Stone | Jan 2008 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Estimating Nitrogen & Dry Matter From Cover Crops

Cover crops are used by many farmers, but very few know how much nitrogen (N) or dry matter they are getting from their cover crops. There are some methods in the literature for estimating cover crop contributions. We are ...

Nick Andrews | Apr 2007 | Article

New web-based tool helps farmers plant veggies at just the right time

Croptime helps farmers target harvest dates, boosting profit and sustainability

Gail Wells | Dec 9, 2016 | News story

Turn manure into compost for your garden

Animal manure is rich in nutrients that make it a great organic fertilizer for your garden.

Apr 19, 2013 | News story

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