Kevin O’Dwyer’s farming career began when he was 14, working on the field crew at Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon, MA. One of his first jobs was picking strawberries. He continued working at Ward’s through high school and college and was eventually hired as the head grower. In 2010, O’Dwyer decided it w...

RENICK, WV – Hellebores are late-winter blooming, giving rise to the nicknames Lenten rose and winter rose. Their attractive flowers are formed by five delicate sepals, except in the double versions, which feature multiple layers of sepals. These perennial, evergreen plants grow about 12 inches tall...

You may or may not be familiar with celeriac (or celery root). This root vegetable is commonly found in European cuisine and is part of the same species as celery, just a different variety. At the New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference , Peyton Ginakes, a UMaine Cooperative Extension research asso...

The goal of integrated pest management (IPM) is the prevention and control of pests, and to lessen the use of plant protection products to ecologically healthy levels. That was the definition of IPM given by Erich N. Schoeller, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, during his prese...

Microgreens are a quick turnaround, high-value crop which can extend the growing season for indoor and outdoor growers alike. While microgreens can add “green” to your wallet year-round, keeping them free of pathogenic bacteria requires some effort and adherence to food safety practices. Sprouts, wh...

Lindsay Allen, owner of Fern Hill Farm in Buckland, MA, lives in the house that once belonged to the town’s beloved doctor, the late Dr. Mark Purinton, who provided care for his community from his home for almost 40 years. Following in his footsteps, Allen is providing care for her community by grow...

Healthy buds mean healthy flowers mean healthy fruits. And using sprayers to protect all those parts of the lifecycle is important, but how do you know which sprayer works best for your operation? “Comparing efficiencies of spray technologies in tree fruit orchards” was presented by the team of Emil...

Evan Lentz, a commercial fruit crops assistant Extension educator with UConn, recently spoke about Aronia berries at the New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference . The Aronia berry has “been around for quite a while now, but it’s retained its kind of novel-niche status,” Lentz said. A lot of people ...

Earlier this year, Farm Commons hosted a webinar titled “Terminated and Frozen USDA Funding: Filing an Appeal to Protect Your Rights.” The intent of the session was to provide education rather than legal advice. The mission of Farm Commons is to empower agricultural communities to resolve their own ...

“Just two kids with a dream” is how Deep Roots Produce ’s Liv McDaniels captioned the post. “We started our journey back in 2019 when we converted an old hay barn that sat on my family’s property into an open-air produce market. We quickly were overwhelmed by the support this community showed us and...

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall well-being, and managing stress effectively can make a significant difference in daily life. Whether through personal coping mechanisms, supportive conversations, professional resources or a combination of some or all of these, taking care of our own m...

Nearly everyone involved in agriculture has first-hand knowledge of a family member or friend involved in a farm accident. But Dr. Barbara Lee, senior research scientist at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute , believes the term “accident” isn’t accurate. She encourages the use of “incident” instea...

There are different species of mealybugs. Some live in the roots of plants, others on the leaves and stems. Either way, the presence of mealybugs is a major concern in greenhouses. The citrus mealybug, longtailed mealybug, obscure mealybug and root-feeding mealybugs are the primary types responsible...

Henriette den Ouden, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension, grew up in the Netherlands where she learned about elderberries through stories passed down through generations. den Ouden discussed tips for growing this versatile fruit at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention . “The stor...

On the surface, the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference appears to be about one thing: mixed alcoholic beverages. However, in recent years, both those inventing drinks and imbibing them have become more concerned about how sustainable their ingredients really are. In the same sense, the term “fo...