Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) is a tropical plant native to the humid, partly shaded habitats in moist tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia. By mimicking these tropical conditions in high tunnels, ginger is becoming an increasingly popular specialty crop in the eastern U.S. Although i...

“People don’t open their Instagram app expecting to be sold to. They want to be engaged with – to be entertained,” stated Penn State Extension’s Miranda Harple during a recent webinar about the use of Instagram to elevate your brand and connect with customers. In its ongoing evolution as a product a...

Ridding soil of pathogens, weeds and nematodes remains an ongoing challenge for growers. To further research this problem, Dr. Francesco Di Gioia, assistant professor of vegetable crop science at Penn State, and Dr. Erin Rosskopf, USDA-ARS in Florida, worked on a multi-regional project funded by NIF...

One great way to make a profit during your farm’s agritourism event is by prioritizing your food and beverage offerings. Mike Holtzman, the founder of the Holtzman Group: Hospitality Experts/Profitable Food Facilities Worldwide, is well-known in the food and beverage industry. He hosted a session at...

The Real Christmas Tree Board (RCTB), in conjunction with Michigan State University Extension, recently hosted a presentation addressing elongate hemlock scale (EHS). EHS, also known as the fiorinia scale, is a serious armored scale insect pest known to infest ornamental and forest trees such as Can...

Selling your farm’s produce online won’t succeed without planning. Farmer Katie Olthoff recently presented “Maximize Your Online Store” as a FACT webinar . She owns ChopLocal , an alternative meat supply chain in Iowa that helps farmers generate and keep more profits. ChopLocal helps producers come ...

Apple growers know that red coloration in many commercially important varieties is a requirement for sale. Lack of color development is often related to lack of maturity: the apples simply are not ready for harvest. But sometimes the apples are ripe and just haven’t developed the degree of red color...

Think of it as one step beyond cover crops. Many conventional growers have now implemented soil saving practices such as no-till or cover cropping. Cover crops provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators, conserve soil moisture, reduce weed growth, enhance carbon sequestration, prevent nu...

During my career I had the privilege to serve as vice president of the Extension Division of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). I penned a monthly column called “Frontlines” in which I discussed diverse topics of interest to those in Extension. In one column I talked about the “E...

We like to have a little fun at the Country Folks Grower offices when certain holidays roll around. Check out our silly April Fool’s Day stories. Grow your own legacy with GreenStar Cooperative Imaging planting the seeds of a legacy and watching it blossom over the years. With GreenStar Cooperative,...

Tougas Family Farm is a second-generation farm located in Northborough, MA. The 53-acre farm was originally purchased in 1981 by Maurice (“Mo”) and Phyllis Tougas, but it has been owned by their son, Andre Tougas, since 2018. In 1986, the farm was preserved under the Agricultural Preservation Restri...

For farms, orchards and those who own wooded acreage, winter is the time for a variety of tasks: logging, land preparation, excavation, brush clearing and pruning. Many tasks require the use of heavy machinery, which predisposes workers to short- and long-term health issues. Abigail Kahrs, program c...

Jeff Greenwood from Growing with Greenwood is passionate about helping farmers make their agritourism events as efficient as possible. Specifically, Greenwood focuses on improving the layout of the farm/event to make it run as smoothly and effortlessly as it can. At the recent NAFDMA Convention in B...

Whether you have the app or not, you’ve likely seen a TikTok video. They’re ubiquitous, and shared seamlessly through other social media like Facebook and Instagram (and even occasionally highlighted on the evening news). Say you want to start making your own videos to promote your plants or your bu...

Roadside stands are fixed features on many a farm. Here’s how halcyon harvesters can help their customers honor the honor system. “There are a few things that farmers can do to discourage thefts at their farm stands,” said Sergeant John Trovato of the Suffield, CT, police department, “especially if ...