Rhianna Zadravec and Alex Libenson, who spent four years farming together on leased property in Lisbon, NH, are very happy they were able to buy a 68-acre farm in Lunenburg, VT, that’s only 100 yards from the Connecticut River. The pair spoke informally, one-on-one, for 30 minutes at the Colonial, a...

Consumers want to purchase the perfect Christmas tree. Growers want to grow perfect trees. Unfortunately, a problematic disease threatens many Christmas tree nurseries and fields. Dr. Gary Chastagner of Washington State University recently discussed research gaps in managing Phytophthora root rot (P...

Growing Christmas trees requires patience and a lot of time. To grow a good Christmas tree takes “just short of 10 years,” according to James Earle Brackbill III, owner of Crane Neck Christmas Tree Farm in West Newbury, MA. Better known as Jeb to his customers and friends, this Christmas season, he ...

When March Farm in Bethlehem, CT, was started in the early 1900s, it was a typical small dairy. Today, Emily March, her brother Tommy and their cousin Shane Collett are fourth generation farmers. The 1940s version of the farm was home to a larger dairy herd and poultry. Apple orchards and a variety ...

Wholesaling farm products has its own set of variables when compared to other marketing channels like farm stands, CSA programs or farmers markets. At a Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association meeting, Rose Wilson and Annie Harlow gave an overview of what farms need to consider before jumping ...

There was a party atmosphere at the second Farm Stand Friday at Good Bunch Farm in Shelburne Falls, MA. All that was missing was the music, but it was quiet to allow owner Dan Greene’s nine-month-old daughter Phoebe to sleep as he held her in her carryall and waited on customers. In the space of an ...

Disease, frost, floods, heat and cold are not a shock to growers, but many who operate customer-facing business models such as on-farm markets will likely find themselves fielding questions about why their favorites won’t be available this season. Penn State Extension recently hosted a grower panel ...

Plants eat light. Animals eat plants. And we humans eat plants and animals, so sunlight – or a really good substitution for it – is essential for life. One important plant in a healthy human diet is spinach. It’s high in vitamins A, C and K and iron and magnesium. But to get the most from those mine...

For growers battling stubborn weeds across the Northeast, a new spark of interest is running through the rows. In a presentation titled “Sparks in the Row: What Electrical Weed Control Does to Weeds,” researchers Luísa C. Baccin and Marcelo L. Moretti of Oregon State University joined Joshua W. A. M...

Livestock manure is a plentiful, renewable resource. Nearly 1.4 billion tons of it is created each year in the U.S. alone. Much of it is utilized as fertilizer on commodity crops, but what about using it on vegetables that often go straight from the fields and into hungry mouths? A team from Morehea...

“The famous quote about food hubs is when you’ve seen one food hub, you’ve seen one food hub. They’re like snowflakes,” said Katelyn Porter of the New England Food Hub & Processors Network at a meeting hosted by Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in Hallowell, Maine. According to USDA, a food h...

“’There’s money in the account’ is not an effective business strategy,” Penn State Extension’s Carla Snyder joked during a recent “Lunch & Learn.” As a farm business owner, it’s important to know the status of every cent of cold, hard cash, not just your assets or investments. Effective planning can...

Play is important for children of all ages, and children’s play areas can become an integral part of your agritourism operation – but these spaces must be created with safety in mind. A session at the most recent Great Lakes Expo led by Nate Bosch, landscape architect with Outdoor Discovery Center o...

At the most recent Cultivate Conference , growers packed together to soak up smart strategies on a deceptively simple subject: watering. In a session titled “Optimize Moisture Management to Grow Your Best Crops Ever,” Nick Flax, technical services specialist at Ball Seed Company, made one thing clea...

According to some, elderberries have a taste similar to blackberries and black currants but have a more “earthy” flavor. Their unique flavor is enjoyed by many these days in culinary treats and elderberry medicine extracts. The market for elderberry is still being studied and expanded. So a team of ...