Even when you’re in the greenhouse, the barn or the field, there’s a very good chance your phone is on your person. With constant communication necessary for those running businesses and apps designed to make agribusiness simpler, your phone has become an indispensable tool. It can be easy to get bo...

While many regions of the country have been dealing with prolonged arid conditions, courtesy of La Nina, others have been dealing with excess moisture. Diving into the topic of innovations in managing soil water resources at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting earlier t...

Risk management sounds hopeful, doesn’t it? It means taking steps now to avoid downfalls in the future. On farming operations, it can mean the difference between weathering a storm (figurative or literal) or going under. “Farming itself comes with myriad challenges, and agritourism adds its own uniq...

Farms have their fair share of challenges finding and keeping good employees. Is it due to an industry-wide shortage, a lack of employees who are willing to learn or is the workplace atmosphere unpleasant? Linda Falcone, Extension educator of Entrepreneurship, Economic and Community Development, Pen...

The focus of a Wild Farm Alliance webinar was making the most of birds’ diet and foraging strategies. Sage advice came from Wendell Gilgert, director of the Working Lands Program at PRBO Conservation Science, and from Joanne Baumgarten, director of the Wild Farm Alliance. According to Gilgert, there...

In tree fruit production, the go-to method for delivery of pesticides is via air blast, but it’s not necessarily the best way to go. Pesticide losses can be as high as 45% and this can result in the risk of non-target exposure to both the environment and workers. Addressing this topic through a post...

Whenever I think about potatoes, I am instantly transported back to the little town of Augher in Northern Ireland where my great-grandfather William Lamont was the coachman for the castle. He and his wife had five Irish lads and one Irish lassie. He owned 11 acres of land, and I’m sure he raised som...

In business, as in life, we have been conditioned to attend to major or life-changing events with the admonition “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” The adage holds true in controlling issues you can or should conquer immediately. What we identify as the “small stuff” then becomes secondary in priority. ...

Every year, states across the country organize events to celebrate agricultural literacy, either through Agriculture in the Classroom programs or a dedicatedAg Literacy Week. This year, the week-long celebration took place from March 13 – 17 in Pennsylvania, for example, and March 20 – 24 in New Yor...

At the recent annual meeting of the National Association of Conservation Districts in New Orleans, keynote speakers included the expected –USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and NRCS Chief Terry Cosby – as well as someone a little outside the box. Speaking at the meeting was U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Dir...

The Flinchbaugh family has been farming in York County, PA, since the early 1950s, but the fourth generation has taken the operation to a new level. Julie Keene, who operates the farm with her brothers Mike and Andrew, said their great-grandparents raised beef cattle and processing tomatoes. As the ...

More mixed vegetables growers are experimenting with tarping as a way to control weeds. It’s a simple concept – stretching large swaths of silage tarps across the soil prior to planting. “We tarp everything with the exception of any beds that we’re going to put into black plastic for fruit crops. We...

Defined officially, a brand is “a product, service or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually marketed.” Many farmers don’t devote much time to defining their brand, but maybe they should. “Brand Building Thro...

An emerging orchard pest in northern climates in the apple leafcurling midge (ALCM), an invasive insect from Europe. It was first detected in North America in the 1980s, primarily in eastern Ontario, but it has spread since then to both the Finger Lakes region in New York and Michigan. Kristy Grigg-...

For the person hoping to add easy to care for greenery to their home, succulents seem to be the way to go. Once seen as trendy, it now appears the popularity of these plants are here to stay. Growers looking to add succulent production to their operations need not fear. W. Garrett Owen, Ph.D., of Oh...