Beaver Dam Sunflower Festival celebrates 10th anniversary BUCHANAN, VA – Sometimes you have to take your mind off things – try something new because the old ways aren’t working. In 2015, Frank Preston Wickline III decided to plant 30 acres of sunflowers on his dairy farm in Botetourt County. Like ma...

A relatively new strawberry disease has made its way out of Florida and is spreading throughout the South and Northeast. “ Neopestalotiopsis is the name of the disease and the pathogen,” said Nicole Gauthier, Ph.D., Extension plant pathologist, University of Kentucky. “Most people call it Neopest. I...

Those with orchards know apple trees need a certain period of cold, known as winter dormancy, to grow and produce properly. However, exactly how cold the trees need it to be and for how long can vary by variety, and depends on their scions and rootstocks. Testing the cold hardiness of apple scions a...

Michigan State University Extension Specialist Bert Cregg, Ph.D., said for most Christmas tree growers in the Midwest and Northeast, every new tree begins in a seedling bed. Cregg recently presented information on options to ensure seedlings have the best possible start. “It begins with ‘2-0s’, plan...

“Media coverage can bring significant attention and credibility to your farm, but it requires understanding what makes a story interesting, how to pitch it and how to maintain positive relationships with journalists,” said Molly McManus, agritourism and marketing coordinator at CCE Broome in New Yor...

A high tunnel can create an ideal environment for plants to grow, but it can also allow unwanted pests to thrive. Research Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont Cheryl Frank Sullivan explained how many of these pests can create a “total visual food quality issue” and must be managed right...

As ecological instability rocks the globe and the cost of living in urban centers skyrockets, the concept of land stewardship has never been more vital – or more appealing. The post-pandemic trend of seeking a slow-paced life – and the current barrage of social media imagery featuring brightly color...

As land become a more precious resource, figuring out how to use it as economically as possible is a top priority. It’s often where agrivoltaics – agricultural production underneath or adjacent to solar panels – comes into play. But how effective is farming beneath these panels? Luckily, research is...

Growers left glowing, figuratively and literally, after Dr. Abhay Thosar’s illuminating presentation at the most recent Cultivate conference . The seminar, “Horticulture LEDs: A New Era of Adaptability, Flexibility & Sustainability,” offered a deep dive into the dazzling world of dynamic LEDs, a nex...