The tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ) that we know today embarked on a long journey from being discovered and traveling through several countries before coming to the U.S. It originated in the Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia area of the Andes. It was unknown as a food in the U.S. until 1820. It was thought to...

This is the final column in the series breaking down some of the most relevant reports from the Southern Nursery Association’s 2019 Research Conference Proceedings. The scientists, students and researchers who experimented and studied the topics previously covered brought important information to gr...

To capture a five-star review with every transaction equals business bliss, but even the most accomplished fulfillment company cannot count on such ethereal contentment. Why even try, you ask? Customer satisfaction translates into sales, but above and beyond the obvious financial consideration is th...

What do farmers need to know about search engine optimization (SEO)? Plenty, according to Mike Vysocka. He recently presented a webinar, “SEO 101: Building Digital Impact for Your Business,” hosted by the Business of Food & Farming. Vysocka is a business and technology application specialist in Exte...

Let’s get this out of the way – Mark Twain is indeed his favorite author. Lamentably, his best friend is not named Huckleberry.And while he has never been on the Mississippi River, it is most definitely on his bucket list. “Fortunately, I was always one of the biggest kids on the playground as a kid...

Rainfrost Nursery, located in historic New London, VA, has successfully met a number of challenges above and beyond the usual commercial and residential market competition. First came a devastating boxwood blight that destroyed much of the American and British boxwood stock in central Virginia, some...

MEBANE, NC – Last year, Susan Hayward bought Mebane Shrubbery, making it a woman-owned business. Its location – situated on a busy thoroughfare on the northern side of North Carolina’s Piedmont, in between the growing localities of the greater Greensboro region and the Raleigh-Durham Triangle – is i...

Tradition, tribe and the troops – commitment to these ideals have made Fleming’s Christmas Tree Farm not just a successful business but a highly valued member of its community. Founded in 1945, and located in Indiana, PA, Fleming’s has been thriving in the very heart of Christmas tree country. Penns...

Dewey and Sharon Lloy had a plan when they purchased a 55-acre farm in Raymond, Maine: to create a Christmas tree farm and provide a memorable experience for guests. “We bought the farm in 1992 and started clearing the first plot for Christmas trees in December,” said Dewey. “My vision was to have a...