Banker plants are those in which beneficial insects may reside, eat and reproduce even when there aren’t many pest insects to feed on. This is a key part in maintaining a successful integrated pest management system because without them the beneficial insects would leave once they accomplished their...

When Mike and Gayle Thorpe started farming in East Aurora, NY as first generation farmers in the early 1980s, organic operations in western New York weren’t common. “They started switching to organic in the 1990s,” said Abigail Thorpe, one of Mike and Gayle’s six adult children who are now on the fa...

Dec. 6, 2016 marked the first New York Cut Flower Conference held at the Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselaerville. The event was put on by Cornell Cooperative Extension and sponsored by the Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program (CAAHP) and The Association of Specialty Cut Flower...

Last year, the Domes Tree Farm outside of Bliss, NY won a statewide competition resulting in one of their 30-foot Concolor Fir trees being selected for display in front of Lincoln Center in New York City’s Upper West Side. “It was quite an honor,” said Bill Domes, who co-owns the tree farm with his ...

GHENT, NY — Oct. 17, 2016 marked the final on-farm field day put on by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY). These events are hosted by farms in New York State and are held from June through October. NOFA-NY’s Executive Director Adrianna Natsoulas and the Grain and Field C...

Stanton’s Feura Farm, Feura Bush, NY, hosted CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program’s Cover Crops Demonstration: Not What Grandpa Used to Grow! on Oct. 13. Featured speakers included Northeast Soil Health Specialist Dr. Paul Salon and Research Agronomist/ Cover Crop Specialist Dave Wilson. C...

With a major in Horticulture and a minor in Ag-Business Management from the University of Connecticut, 22-year-old Mackenzie Beckwith transformed her great-grandfather’s dairy barn into an inviting farm store. Arrowhead Acres offers products from over 10 different local businesses/farmers as well as...

“Heating is typically a very significant component of the overall energy use in a greenhouse operation,’ A.J. Both, Associate Extension Specialist, Bioresource Engineering, Department of Environmental Sciences Rutgers, said in a presentation for The Farm Energy IQ (FEIQ) program. Greenhouse heating ...

It might seem that Homestead Gardens of Davidsonville and Severna Park in Maryland is just beginning the peak of its busy season if you didn’t know that Homestead Gardens makes sure that all of its seasons are busy. Ever since Don Riddle started growing azaleas on his parent’s farm in Hyattsville, M...

The job description When it comes to labor and hiring practices, attorney Anthony Raimondo knows what he’s talking about. Raimondo has extensive experience in agriculture law, and is an instructor on farm labor contractor licensing. “Farming has always been a labor-intensive activity,” said Raimondo...

In some ways, making maple syrup is the simplest process in the world. You stick a spigot in a tree, hang a bucket from it, boil off the water, filter out the sediment and there you have it; the sweet nectar of the gods. It’s a process that requires no questioning, no redesigning, no tinkering . Tha...

Marketing is often seen as an expense that many small businesses don’t budget for, viewing it as an unnecessary expense and relying solely on word of mouth advertising or their storefront sign. While this will bring in some people many will never know of your business. However, even without a market...

Juliano’s Produce Farms is a family-owned and operated farmer’s market that has been in the Utica, NY, area for 35 years. It is located on State Route 5. The Juliano family grows fruits and vegetables and sells them at their store along with cheese, milk, and other dairy products. The family members...

Why most customer service isn’t as good as it could (or should) be and what you can do about it. “We need to improve our customer service. Get someone in here for an afternoon to fix these people.” “We’re busy. I may be able to spare a couple of people for a few hours. Beyond that, we don’t have tim...

BOXBOROUGH, MA — After setting up for the Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo on Nov. 8, 2016, exhibitors and attendees were invited to an educational specialty cocktail hour. Here, Sue Adams of Adams Farm and Greenhouses, complete with a mobile herb garden, offered attendees the opportunity to...