Opening your agricultural doors and inviting the public in to enjoy a day in the country touring your farm, picking their own fruit and vegetables, or other events to promote your farm and agriculture in general may sound like a great way to drum up business. Did you know if you don’t make special h...

Many platforms for business success are released each year. Some tout the importance of capitalization, market segmentation and competitive differentiation. It may seem very complex, but in reality, business success begins early on when you develop just one main platform that is divided into four se...

The purpose of a recent webinar hosted by Penn State and conducted by Richard Cervi, Consulting Arborist was to help professional arborists to assess their own qualifications in the important but potentially hazardous area tree risk assessment. According to the Certified Arborists’ Study Guide, 2010...

When the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) was first discovered in the United States in early 2000, entomologists scrambled to figure out what to do about the exotic pest that seemed to have a taste for nearly every fruit in the orchard. Entomologists’ early efforts were aimed at learning about the ...

Colon Orchards is situated in a valley on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, which means working with the challenges of a dry, high plains desert climate. “It’s different now,” said Britt Colon, noting the changes in growing conditions over the years. “The valley we’re in, the Arkansas Valley...

Young people, regardless of which generation they represent, have always held the same role in society: The enthusiasm of our culture. Whether today’s Millennials or 1960‘s Baby Boomers, or 1940’s Greatest Generation, when people are in their 20s and 30s, they directly contribute to cultural optimis...

Change was in the air throughout the Greater Columbus Convention Center during this year’s edition of Cultivate. From the construction happening all around, to “The New Now” theme of the show, to the spirited panels and seminars, all sides of the business were facing and embracing a new chapter in t...

Root rots are a worrisome concern for plant growers. These diseases plague greenhouses. Dr. Janna L. Beckerman, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University addressed this issue in the webinar Root Rot Management for Annual and Perennial Crop...

When it comes to marketing, fruit and vegetable farms have numerous options. For one Maryland farm, u-pick is the best choice. Larry and Polly Moore established Larriland Farm in 1973, and today, three of their four children have taken over operations at the 300-acre farm in Woodbine. Lynn, presiden...

When Betsy Molodich started “Betsy’s Stand” in 1998, she could hardly have imagined what the future would hold. Her brother-in-law had been selling apples and cider out of the stand for years, but when cider moved from fresh to pasteurized, the business model had to change. At her husband’s instigat...

COLUMBUS, OH –Ken Fisher, AmericanHort President and Chief Executive Officer, announced exciting changes are coming to Cultivate’17. Since 2012, AmericanHort has worked with event experience engineers to discuss strategies to improve and grow the Cultivate experience for exhibitors. “The primary goa...

Ko Klaver grew up on a flower bulb production farm in The Netherlands and currently operates a successful cut flower consultation business, so he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to growing and marketing cut flowers. “There is a huge opportunity because of where we are culturally as a nat...

“At harvest, the quality clock is ticking. Post-harvest losses can be staggering. I decided to specialize in post-harvest handling when I saw how much of the loss could be prevented,” stated Dr. Steve Sargent of UF/IFAS Extension. The waste is huge. From field to retail in the United States and othe...

When Keriann put an ad on Craigslist, she was just looking for a roommate to help pay the rent. She didn’t get one. Instead, she found a husband, a partner, and a new life full of sunshine and . . . tulips. The answer to her ad came in the form of tulip-grower Jeroen Koeman. Jeroen’s family runs a h...

Dr. Richard Cowles of the CT Agriculture Experiment Station (CAES) Valley Laboratory described ways to protect honeybees and pollinators while protecting plants from common pests using systemic pesticides and insecticides including neonicotinoids at a Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association (RI...