Apples “breathe” while they’re growing, respirating through small, pore-like openings on the fruits’ skin, allowing for gas exchange between the apple and the atmosphere. These openings are called lenticels. Just like our skin, apples can have issues with their outsides, often with something called ...

Measuring in distance, Michigan and Israel are about 5,900 miles apart. However, when it comes to agricultural innovation, the two regions work together like good neighbors. At the most recent Great Lakes Expo , five different Israel-based businesses provided elevator pitches during “Smart Farming: ...

Despite being an industry that produces a lot of green, horticulture can be less than earth friendly. Consider the use of non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) mulch, like that used in berry production. It gets even trickier for those trying to grow organic. Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches are not ...

Considering the quintessential summer meal of corn on the cob and tomatoes? People have been lining up to buy the corn and tomatoes at the landmark PineBrook Farmstand in Northampton, MA. “Corn is late this year,” said owner Sandy Jaescke of the farm that has been proudly serving the community since...

CAZENOVIA, NY – Poet Maya Angelou shared that “Lavender’s scent is a gentle reminder that beauty often whispers.” There were few whisperers as capacity crowds learned, danced, harvested, sat among the rows, ate and celebrated a bounty of purple at the 2025 Cazenovia Lavender Festival on Monica Cody’...

It was a busy summer afternoon at Allard Farm as people stopped by to buy willows, hydrangeas, roses or vegetable plants, annuals and perennials. Located in Brewster, MA, the farm benefits from the high traffic of tourists and locals alike. The farm was started by current owner John Allard’s parents...

This season might summon visions of summer vacations and sunbathing, but for Christmas tree growers, it signals sweat, strategy and survival. These hot, hectic months are a pivotal period in the production of picture-perfect pines. To deliver full-bodied firs in December, growers must diligently def...

Christina Dodge provided some simple yet effective tips for building a motivated and committed workplace team. Dodge is a Maine Small Business Development Center business advisor. “The power of motivation is that motivation drives results and that shows up in increased productivity, better customer ...

The concept of soil health is all about enriching your soil. Jamie Garzon, the assistant Extension professor and forage educator at UMaine, defines soil health as “the soil’s continued capacity to function as a vital living ecosystem.” Maintaining healthy soil can lead to increased plant growth, qua...

Apples and autumn are the ultimate match-up. People love to go apple picking, drink apple cider and plan ahead for holiday pies. But for growers who have to plan what to do with their many bushels of apples once they’re off the trees, proper storage is a cause for concern. Talking about environmenta...

It’s Christmas all year round at Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm. Owner Robert Schrader currently has 40,000 trees in different stages of growth to be ready for the upcoming holiday season this year and those to come. He grows Fraser, Balsam, Canaan and Concolor firs and some blue spruce on th...

Farmers are familiar with AI as the abbreviation for artificial insemination or avian influenza, and many know it also stands for artificial intelligence. Alexis Stevens, farm management specialist with Iowa State University, said there are more than 36,000 AI tools available today – and the number ...

Waking up early to hear a lecture on economics sounds like something you had to do in college, not something you’d choose to do as a plant-growing professional. Still, the annual State of the Industry address at Cultivate, the conference and trade show organized by AmericanHort, has grown so popular...

Stews, sides, gratins, fritters – is there anything potatoes can’t do? But as with many everyday heroes, it’s easy to take the tubers for granted. Enter specialty potatoes: petite, colorful and full of flavor, these spuds are entering the spotlight as consumer demand rises. In 2024, potato sales wen...

A Central New York fixture since the 1960s – both at their previous long-time location in Palatine Bridge and at their current offices in Canajoharie – Lee Newspapers Inc. shows no signs of letting off the gas pedal. Publishers of the regional commercial agricultural weekly Country Folks , the month...