As the labor market continues to evolve and fluctuate, you may find yourself hiring capable employees who may have little horticulture experience (but are willing to learn). Like teaching them how to water properly, teaching them how to scout for problems and pests is also incredibly important. Luis...

The key findings of a recent study on farm labor are nowhere near surprising. Researchers reported a declining supply of domestic farmworkers, rising wages and labor shortages, increased mechanization and the rise of H-2A labor. At the most recent Great Lakes Expo, Dr. Zach Rutledge, Department of A...

Agriculture and conservation could be considered by some to be two sides to the same coin. The National Association of Conservation Districts seems to believe this, as they welcomed USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to deliver the keynote address at their Leadership Luncheon at their annual meeting in New ...

Solar energy arrays on farmland no longer means that the land will be taken out of production as large ground-mounted panels take up valuable farmland, disturb soils and offer neighbors unsightly views. Instead of large parcels of land dedicated exclusively to solar panels, modern agrivoltaics combi...

Fun fact: Potatoes are the top vegetable crop in the U.S. According to USDA-NASS, one million acres of potatoes were harvested in 2020, with a total value of $3.88 billion. That’s why protecting them is a valuable investment. Luisa Parrado, Emilie Cole and Marisol Quintanilla of the Department of En...

Before I get into my thoughts on cool season crops, I wanted to mention a new book. It is the sixth edition of “ Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers ,” updated and improved on by my friends and colleagues, Drs. George Hochmuth, University of Florida, and Rebecca Sideman, University of New Hampshi...

Marketing plans present ways to promote and advertise your product or service. While these plans may be delegated to special teams or external agencies, there are benefits to linking back to your own employee training and orientation programs. As an important component of training, sharing current m...

Those black plastic pots are most likely the containers that comes to mind when talking nursery sales of potted plants. But today, the use of petroleum-based plastics can be both a social and an environmental faux pas. What’s a nursery grower to do? Plastic waste is a serious problem worldwide, and ...

While the meetings and education sessions at events like Great Lakes Expo are valuable and informative, the posters sharing research from graduate students shouldn’t be ignored. They provide bite-sized nuggets of larger projects worth looking into. The title on this one is a bit unwieldy, but the re...

The 2023 Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) welcomed more than 11,000 attendees, including exhibitors, in Baltimore from Jan. 11 – 13. Known as the Masterpiece of Trade Shows™, MANTS jump-started the 2023 green industry trade show season on a high note bringing together horticulture industry le...

Ben Clark was raised on a generational fruit farm in Deerfield, MA, but he didn’t think that’s where he’d be today. Ben’s father Tom was the third generation on the farm, and Ben grew up working in the orchard during summers. After high school, Ben went to college and lived the city life as he built...

Using temperature to maximize crop quality and profitability is a critical part of growing in greenhouses. It was also the topic discussed by John Erwin, Ph.D., of the Plant Science & Landscape Architecture Department with the University of Maryland at Cultivate’22. “We don’t appreciate temperature ...

This past year brought some tweaks to the H-2A program. Employers who use the program should be aware of the changes and be prepared to ensure compliance. In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the issuance of a final rule for the H-2A program, which Penn State staff attorney ...

The original title for Dr. Brian Krug’s lecture at Cultivate’22 focused on teaching people how to water plants properly. The technical lead for Syngenta Flowers LLC, Krug changed the name and the focus to something equally as important: “Drying Plants Out: Training for Success.” “Just because we hav...

Spider mites are an economically important crop pest, especially in tomatoes. Dr. James Walgenbach, professor and Extension specialist in entomology and plant pathology, North Carolina State University at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, and Dr. Tom Bilbo, a post-docto...