There are more than 100 different hosts for sooty blotch and flyspeck, two different diseases that commonly occur together on the same fruit. Their spores move by wind and rain, and thus, humid conditions favor sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS). SBFS causes a discoloration or blemish of near-mature f...

The initial question addressed was “How do I attract raptors as well as any other birds and wildlife to my farms?” The answer was presented by Matt Johnson from Cal Poly-Humboldt and Breanna Martinico from UC-Davis during a part of “The Role of Birds on the Farm” series. Johnson began by discussing ...

The U.S. has nearly 1,000 farms producing chestnuts on more than 3,700 acres, per USDA-NASS data. The top producing states are Michigan, Florida, California, Oregon and Virginia. Demand for fresh and processed chestnuts is high and likely to increase, both nationally and internationally. However, as...

The beating heart and soul of the vegetable industry (or any horticultural enterprise) are the growers that produce and market the product that consumers purchase. As I view the landscape and think of the growers that I have worked with over the years, they represent a tapestry of ages, experience, ...

We’ve all experienced the effects of supply chain disruption and product availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers have faced delays in receiving critical parts needed to keep their production lines in operation, impacting employment. The automobile industry pumped the brakes when the...

Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht of Garden of Eve Organic Farm & Market in Riverhead, NY, recently profiled her operation during “Growing, Maintaining and Marketing a Successful Organic U-Pick Berry Operation” as part of the recent virtual NOFA-NY conference. Kaplan-Walbrecht said she’s learned much about succe...

One of the easiest ways to bring more visitors to your farm and buying more of your produce is to let those visitors pick it themselves. U-pick operations allow customers to spend time with their families outdoors, learn more about where their food comes from and appreciate the work farmers put in t...

Emptying a greenhouse is just the start of a thorough disinfection process. Cleaning and sanitizing prior to the next crop is essential, but managing crops to prevent disease is also vital for greenhouse cleanliness. Dr. Ann Chase, Chase Agricultural Consulting, said an integrated disease management...

According to Dr. Juliet Carroll, fruit IPM coordinator at Cornell, the economic impact of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a billion dollars a year, and $7 million alone in New York State. “The impact of this insect is broad and wide,” said Carroll. “Crop loss is severe in seasons when ripening and ...

Geranium devotees should be vigilant against a pair of plant-based plights this year. Margery Daughtrey is an expert on all arboreal ailments and horticultural havocs. For 42 years she has been senior Extension associate at the School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Bi...

Agritourism is anything that brings people to your farm. The most common types of activities are farm markets, tours and educational activities, hay rides/sleigh rides, pumpkin patches, U-pick, play areas, food service, corn mazes, farm festivals, petting zoos and weddings/events. Those activities c...

Jim Engel, owner of White Oak Nursery in Canandaigua, NY, is a nurseryman focusing on the propagation of native trees, shrubs and perennials. As a horticulturalist and forest manager, Engel recognized the need to provide reasonably priced native plants to discerning conservation-minded clientele see...

As part of “The Role of Birds on the Farm” series, ag professionals and farmers are learning how to support beneficial birds and discourage pest birds. A recent lesson on insect-eating birds supported by nest boxes and buildings was presented by Robyn Bailey of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology ...

Have you ever spotted a farmer wearing a “Don’t Farm Naked” T-shirt? Rather than alluding to nudity, it’s a proclamation to the importance of cover cropping. Vegetable growers report, however, that their increasing use of cover crops is posing some challenges. Chad Cochrane, a New Hampshire-based US...

What’s going on with plum curculio? Fruit growers definitely want to know. A snout beetle, plum curculio (PC) is pest of stone fruits such as peaches, plums and cherries, native to the region east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s one of the most serious pests of peach trees, as they lay eggs within the ...