At the Cultivate Conference in Columbus, one presentation invited landscape professionals to loosen their grip and embrace a little chaos – with purpose. In a session titled “Natural Disaster: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Managing Naturalistic Landscapes,” David McKinney, curator at the Iowa Arbo...

Sean Birkel, Ph.D., Maine’s climatologist and Cooperative Extension team member, introduced the state’s new 26-station weather monitoring network to many farmers and foresters at the state’s Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta. “The mesonet will fill existing networks and observational gaps and prov...

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” So said Albert Einstein – and it’s imperative for growers to remain curious. A nursery-focused disease panel at the most recent Cultivate event took place solely so those in attendance could query about the ...

Presenters at the High Tunnel Production Conference in West Lebanon, NH, emphasized that high tunnels have different requirements and management needs than does in-field farming, so growers must make accommodations. The specialists who shared their expertise included Bruce Hoskins, assistant scienti...

Turfgrass is big business – but keeping it both healthy and looking healthy requires a certain amount of water, which can become scarce in certain areas and certain seasons. Water restrictions and rising costs require more sustainable solutions to improve water efficiency without compromising turf p...

Hello, farm family! Have you noticed extra stress in your on- and off-farm relationships lately? Perhaps you find yourself: Avoiding “hot topics” with customers (or even family and friends) Feeling uncomfortable in family get-togethers Wrestling over how “personal” or “political” to get in social me...

Fresh carrots have always been a staple in grocery stores, where consumers seek uniform, blemish-free, bright orange carrots. However, recent breeding work has resulted in more interesting carrots. Those marketing fresh organic vegetables directly from the farm or at markets have taken advantage of ...

Ask any crop grower in the Northeast or Midwest what keeps them up at night and you will hear a familiar refrain. It’s not just rain roulette or market mood swings. It is hooves in the headlands and half-moon bites out of tender leaves. Deer and other pests have become persistent, pervasive and pric...

When analyzing a plant problem, it’s best to not immediately jump to conclusions based on the first thing you see. Jonathan Ebba, a UNH Extension landscape and greenhouse field specialist, recommends growers look at their affected plant from the broadest level first, and then get specific. With this...

Woolly apple aphid remains a stubborn and surprising sap sucker, a pest that presses patience and provokes persistent problems for apple growers. Michigan State University researchers Martin Brubaker, Heather Lynch and Juliana Wilson are focusing on how this fuzzy foe behaves, where it hides and why...

Dr. Jason Smith, forest pathologist, University of Mount Union in Ohio, said it took a long time for one of the most recent and puzzling diseases of certain trees and shrubs to get anyone’s attention, primarily because the dead and dying trees were in swampy areas including the Florida Everglades. T...

Many people enjoy the tropical taste of passionfruit but are unaware there is another fruit in the same genus that can be grown closer to home. Maypop ( P assiflora incarnata) is a perennial vine that’s native to North America. It’s valued for its tropical fruit flavor, adaptability and resilience t...

Over 100 growers shared their successes and failures raising specific crops in high tunnels on the first day of the two-day High Tunnel Production Conference at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon, NH. The conference was a sellout with 120 registrations (and a waiting list) plus 30 speakers and vendors...

An assortment of specialized tendons, ligaments and bones in the arms and hands allows humans to perform amazing work. Farmers’ daily tasks often lead to pain and weakness that can result in dangerous work conditions and accidents. Dr. Patricia Siegel, certified hand therapist and associate professo...

There’s more to building a farm than obtaining acreage, lumber, fencing and equipment. Some of the first steps for new and beginning farmers include gathering information and obtaining a loan. “First is your state’s land grant Extension service,” said Chris Laughton, director of knowledge exchange, ...