ROME, NY — When produce farmer, Ron Wagner got on TV and on social media asking for help to harvest a monumental crop of squash destined for local food banks, little did he realize he would inspire a community. “The epiphany for me was seeing the train of volunteers all working together for a common...

When you hear the words tobacco farm you might imagine the rolling fields of North Carolina or a plantation in tropical Havana, Cuba as the ideal setting. There is, however, a long-standing tobacco farm that sits in the temperate climate of Southwick, MA. “Tobacco farming has been in the Connecticut...

If you want to farm, the nonprofit Grow Food Northampton can help. Right now, the nonprofit oversees three farms on some 120 acres. The three leasable spots are on Crimson and Clover, Sawmill Farm and Slow Tractor Farm. “We’re full,” said Clem Clay, the Executive Director of Grow Food. Currently, 10...

When the economy gets rough, savvy business owners figure out ways to keep going. Jim Gehlsen was a masonry contractor for more than 30 years, but when the economy tanked in 2008, he had some decisions to make. “I hung in,” he said, “but it got worse and worse. I thought, I have the farm and it’s a ...

At this time of year, one can almost hear the strains of O Tannenbaum sung by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club; they appear on the Mannheim Steamroller album Christmas Extraordinaire, as the preface to a Johnny Mathis solo. It is easy to imagine them standing in a curved stone stairwell in...

y As gardening enthusiasts in the Strasburg, PA area begin their spring planting and garden preparations, many look to Good Harvest Farms, owned by Chris and Cindy Powell, for their flower and vegetable plants to get them off to a good start. Good Harvest Farms, a 30-acre Lancaster County farm that ...

Commercial ginseng production has a long history and affiliation with Cornell University. I have a collection of Cornell publications dating from as early as 1904 on topics as specific as “Phytopthora Root Rot of Ginseng” and as general as “Diseases of Ginseng”. At one time, circa 1910, there were a...

New York poised to begin researching crop in 2016 ALBANY, NY — New York’s first legal hemp seeds are closer to being sown next spring by universities and local farmers after revised regulations were issued recently by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Research of industrial hemp by st...

by Michael Larose, Agriculture Market Segment Manager, BioSafe Systems With fumigants being aggressively restricted by environmental advocacy groups and rapidly growing resistance to some traditional chemistries, growers are increasingly concerned about future options for treating their soil. BioSaf...

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg have announced the United States’ first-ever national food waste reduction goal, calling for a 50-percent reduction by 2030. As part of the effort, the federal government will lead a new partnership with...

Sinclair Adam says ornamental growers should take time both now and as the season progresses to take steps to ensure that everything is in place for the upcoming growing season. Adam, an extension educator in Pennsylvania, helps growers understand the importance of good sanitation between crops. “Ma...

Growers who use greenhouses or tunnels strive to keep crops in them for as much of the year as possible. Whether a greenhouse is used for a continuous cropping cycle or to extend the season, sanitation is critical to minimizing disease and ensuring a healthy crop. Steve Bogash, Penn State University...

Employee theft is widespread and significant. One in every 40 employees was apprehended for theft in 2013. That makes one ponder how many stole but were not apprehended. Many farm businesses are so fast-paced, there’s little chance an offender will be noticed. According to a University of Cincinnati...

by Debra Wood Perosio, Cornell University – Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management Have you ever walked down the street and smelled a burger being charcoal grilled? Or how about when you are in a supermarket and you smell bread baking? All of a sudden the cravings start, and bef...

Frustrated by the slow and inefficient results of planting celery by hand, Ben Poll along with his two brothers, Henry and Louis, designed and built a small self propelled transplanter. Their planter was not only faster and easier than planting by hand, it planted celery better than hand planting, r...