Food hubs can provide producers with a means of moving more produce. Mariel Borgman, MSU Extension community food systems educator, recently presented “Food Hubs: A Distribution Solution.” Borgman explained the various tiers of the food system based on a bullseye, starting in the center with persona...

Keeping good records is essential in any agricultural system, and for organic producers, records are especially important. “Management decisions are based on historical reference and your own knowledge,” said Harriet Behar, senior organic specialist with Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Servi...

Health and safety come first, but business does have to continue for those who are open, and that includes garden businesses. Many garden centers and greenhouses are having very profitable springs, but they need to continue to play it safe. Stuart Cofer of Cofer Home and Garden shared his strategies...

Creativity is the key to eye-catching displays, and owners of nurseries and garden centers have become a bit more creative to determine the best way to remain open and offer no-contact sales. Jill Vanduyvendyk, of Dutch Growers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, said the garden center has offered online sa...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan. (STEC refers to Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, a potentially life-threatening illness). Leafy greens, particularly romaine lettuce, are among the most frequently consumed vegetables in the nation. The FDA’s ac...

People are ready to shop for plants, and in some areas, customers will be allowed to do just that at retail garden centers. Despite restrictions, Dr. Bridget Behe, horticulture professor and retail marketing expert at Michigan State University, said it’s still important for retailers to provide a sh...

No matter what crop you’re growing, it’s likely to be susceptible to fungal pathogens. Conventional and organic growers alike seek to protect their crops from these destructive pathogens. Although synthetic chemicals have become a primary tool in many growers’ toolboxes, bio-based products are rapid...

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is usually spread by Western flower thrips. During the past several years, the virus has caused severe damage to tomato, tobacco and peanut crops along the Gulf Coast and in Tennessee and Kentucky. Extension specialists from New Mexico State University and the Univer...

Not all microbes are bad. We know this because those yogurt commercials tell us we need some in our gut. In the plant world, there are genes that decide which microbes are allowed to live inside leaves to keep plants healthy – their own version of Jamie Lee Curtis. Scientists at Michigan State Unive...