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It's a start (June 28, 2002 -- CropChoice commentary) -- Maryland's agricultural research centers have collected $75,000 in grants to pay for research into organic growing methods. Seven of the state's 8 centers are testing, among other things, how effectively cover crops tolerate drought and suppress weeds, and how well parasitic wasps control the Mexican bean beetle. And it's only the beginning. The new federal farm legislation devotes $15 million over five years to organic research. True, 3 million bucks is chump change compared to the billions that corporate agribusiness sucks from the trough, but it's a start.